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From a Traumatic Teaching Experience to Engineering
2023.06.08 20:08 4yelhsa From a Traumatic Teaching Experience to Engineering
Warning, this is a pretty long read. TL;DR: I spent 18 months working at the worst schools with the worst students experiencing terrible working conditions most people only hear about on T.V. before deciding to transition out of teaching and into engineering.
I graduated in December 2016 with a degree in Physics concentrating in secondary education. My degree program was essentially a double major, they removed the requirements for a couple of courses from physics major and added in an entire course load of education courses. I graduated with more than 160 credit hours and still I was terribly under prepared for handling a classroom on my own.
My practicum assignment was at a "good school". The teacher I worked under my last semester had nearly flawless classroom control; mostly due to the student population generally being well behaved, but I didn't understand that at the time. The classroom management during my teaching periods was also pretty good. She taught me her methods for classroom management and I thought I had it down. Plus when I left she sent me away with a large binder of her lessons, so I didn't really need worry about lesson planning. I thought I was ready. I was incredibly thankful to her and confident when I accepted my mid-year posting at a Title IX school.
And what a mistake that was. That school and that district was insane. I accepted a posting to teach Physics to 11 and 12th graders and physical science to the 9th and 10th graders. This school ran on a block schedule so I had 8 periods of approximately 30 students that where I saw half of my students every other day with 2 hour long classes. When I arrived I found that my senior students had been with a sub the entire first semester learning physical science, that their math teacher did not exist, and that their ability to handle the rigor of physics was at absolute 0. Almost immediately after I began all of my senior students were failing. Big problem.
I was quickly pulled into a meeting with the principal and leadership where I was essentially told that if these students did not pass my class I would need to look for other employment come next year. Crank up the stress. Administration did not care that these kids did not deserve to pass physics due to their lacking foundations in math. I still don't understand how they expect students to pass physics which is based on algebra II/trig/geometry when these kids are barely studying algebra 1 under a constant string of revolving incompetent substitutes. But I was scared, so I essentially removed all maths from my class and just taught conceptual things. Basically instead of I throw the ball do the math to determine it's trajectory based on these initial numbers, the tasks became I throw the ball explain draw it's flight path and explain why it looks like that. It felt like I was doing these kids a huge disservice, but at the end of the year most of my students had passed physics and were onto the next course.
Aside from the curriculum requirements, the classroom management that entire year was a crap shoot. I found it impossible to manage these students who could not understand the concepts and did not want to learn them. I had boys flashing me their genitals, there were fights, there were students tossing things everywhere, they just could not shut up for even a moment, they stood on tables, they took my things, they stood in my space, and it was impossible to get anything done. I even had one student try to bribe me with her car and "sexual favors" for a passing grade on the final (holy fuck that was terrible).
Notably I remember that sometime during my 3rd or 4th month there, a student I'd never seen before was escorted into my classroom by police in handcuffs. They sat him down without a word, uncuffed him, and pulled me into the hallway where I was informed that this kid was on some type of reformation program. That he'd be attending my class from that day forward and that if he misbehaved to call them (the police!?) because he was "active" and "serious". lol wtf? That student unsurprisingly was fighting in my classroom almost immediately.
And those were just problems in my classroom, in that school during my first (and only) semester there were numerous fights in the halls between students, and even some between students and their teachers, students were caught having sex during school hours, there was a sex scandal between a teacher and her student and then she disappeared shortly after. There was a gun incident at a basketball game. After that they started making teachers come to school an hour earlier so that we could search every student as they came onto campus. I pulled plenty of weapons off kids during this time. And they made a locked door policy so that if students were late and missed the morning check they'd have to come through the front office to get it done by the staff there. It was dreadfully ineffective. I watched students jump the fences and be let in by others daily.
Around this time we got word that were was a shooting at our feeder school (a middle school that sends their kids to our high school). A student was murdered right outside of campus (literally in front of the neighboring building).
I worked at that school for only a single semester, and that wasn't by choice. After scaring me about the security of my job I worked really hard to keep it. I kept up with the crazy shenanigans happening on and around our campus, more than 90% of my students passed my class (even tho in my opinion they did not deserve to) and I spent many late nights rewriting my lesson plans and grading the work of my 240 students. I arrived at school at 6am I didn't get to leave until 4pm and I spent all night until 12 or 1am preparing for the next day on a $32k per year salary. And none of it mattered. After doing everything they asked of me that semester, they pink slipped me anyway. Asking around, I found out that a large majority of the first year teachers receive pink slips regardless of their performance and as a big fuck you I guess. They expected me to apply for my job a second time where I would definitely get it again and start off the year with a reset tenure timeline.
So I decided "fuck that" and moved home onto my mom's couch in California after summer school ended. Remember that school where the murder happened? I taught summer school for high school and middle school students there. And unexpectedly it was the best time I ever had teaching. I taught 3 periods of high school students (chemistry cuz whatever I guess the administration didn't care or something) and I taught 1 period of 7th grade earth science. In summer school classes were about 45 minutes each and the max class size I had was 20 kids per period. I only taught 2 kids at the middle school level.
Don't get me wrong, the conditions were still terrible. There were actively constructing within the school building that summer. The AC was turned off. The available classrooms not under renovation were incredibly tiny such that even though I didn't have more than 20 kids, they all had to practically sit on top of each other with less than 2 feet between them at any time. Every morning I had to seat kids in a certain order just to make sure everyone could actually reach their seats they were so close together. If a student came late there was always this huge shuffle where like 10 kids had to move around to make space so the late person could reach their desk. My desk was shoved into a tiny tiny little space as well and it was a tiny little desk so small that they should've just given me another kids desk and taken the one I had away. I would've preferred the extra space. Chemistry was one of the courses I didn't have to take in college and I was super not qualified to teach it to high school students. (Really wtf were they thinking? Lol I'm sure there were a ton of kids who needed remedial physics). But it didn't really matter that I was under educated in chemistry, since my teaching hours ended at noon and I had so few papers to grade, I had plenty of time to learn the curriculum and develop a lesson plan for the next day with assignments after grading papers. That summer I could easily get into bed before 8pm. It was amazing honestly.
Because I had so few students compared to the regular term, I was able to interact with each of them. Instead of being a number or a statistic in my grade book each student that summer was a real person I knew. I knew what they liked and didn't like, I spent time learning their hobbies and what they wanted to do. For kids who wanted to pursue STEM I had time to give them more attention/ feed their passion and for students who wanted to do something else I had time to get to know them as a person and understand what made them passionate about wrestling, or hair styling, or being a mechanic or whatever it was. It felt like a vacation even tho I was still working more than 8 hours a day.
A vacation I really needed because at the beginning of the new school year I moved back home to my mom's house and began teaching at my old high school which I knew was going to be rough based on my own experience as a student. I was hired as a "long term substitute" which I understand to be a way to circumvent my lack of credentials in the state of California. It allowed me to essentially operate as the teacher without having a license to teach. I (ironically) taught mathematics (algebra I and geometry). My teaching conditions were much better than my old school in some ways and much worse in others.
At my first school the kids were unruly but there wasn't anything that was specifically targeted towards me. They would mostly act out towards each other and leave me out of it and my new school it was the opposite. The kids were incredibly close with each other, so I still had problems with talking and general misbehavior, but when they acted out it was much more likely to be directed towards me specifically. I received a ton of threats of violence towards me personally that year. "I'll beat your ass Ms. 4Yelhsa" or "My mom/sistecousin/etc will beat your ass Ms. 4yelhsa" and there were plenty of comments on my appearance, voice, level of income, etc. Instead of bullying each other the kids essentially bullied me and there wasn't much I could do about it.
This school used a method of conflict resolution called "Restorative Justice". This essentially meant that regular forms of punishment such as in school suspensions, or detentions, etc were reserved to especially bad behavior. When a kid threatened to hit me they would be removed from my class for a few days but for the comments it was expected that I would handle that on my own through these "restorative sessions". Basically if a student acted out in my classroom, I was supposed to schedule what amounts to a counseling meeting with them where we would both discuss what happened and come to some sort of accord. I would ask that student why they felt like acting out, I was supposed to inquire to them about how my methods of teaching or classroom management caused them to act out, then I was supposed to explain to them why acting out like that was wrong and get them to agree to a deal to stop acting out if I fixed the things they brought up during our discussion. A conversation would basically go.
Student: Ms. Yelhsa I talked over you because so and so was helping me with x.
Me: Ok well why don't you raise your hand and I can help you with that and that way anyone who has the same question can also get my help
Student: No. I didn't want to do that because I didn't want to talk in front of everyone
Me: Ok why don't you just hold it until after the lesson is done then?
Student: But then I'll forget.
Me: Well you can't talk while I'm talking because it disrupts the class and distracts me from teaching everyone
Student: It's not even that big of a deal. I was just talking with them real quick.
It never worked as kids just talked in circles and were always unwilling to compromise (obviously because they're kids). It was nonsense, it didn't work, and it made it impossible for me to remove distractions from my classroom. It also took time away from other students because I would need to spend minutes having 1 on 1 debates essentially with children about how they should be behaving in my class and trying to bribe them into good behavior. I'll give you guys an extra 5 minutes of free time if we can be quiet during the next 20 minutes kind of energy.
Fights at the second school didn't happen on campus as much as at my first school, but the violence off campus was immense. I feel like several children from this school died every month. We held memorials for them during lunch and spoke about them during rallies. Over the intercom they'd make announcements about it. I'd often come across groups of students weeping during passing periods or lunch.
There was one time where a student was absent from my class for over a month, let's call him Brian. As like what I always did I marked his assignments as 0's, I mentioned it to leadership, I sent home some nominal communication about his attendance/grades to the guardian on file, etc. I followed the procedure. Then one day he was just back randomly and I let him have it. I gave him this huge lecture about how he needs to be concerned for his future, that school is important, that a good education could get him out of this neighborhood with these gangs and drugs, etc. And he stood there and took it then after I was done he very calmly told me that he'd been shot and that he nearly died and that's why he was gone all that time. And I really didn't believe him (even tho I should have considering the frequent deaths of our students to gun violence). I told him he shouldn't tell jokes like that and then he showed me his wound.
Imagining myself marking his assignments as 0's not really giving to much thought on it, emailing his parents about his attendance, going about like normal. What if he had really died? And I marked his grades as 0's? He went from a C to a solidly failing my class between the shooting and his death? Then when they put him in the dirt , he's got an F in Ms. 4yelhsa's class because Ms. 4yelhsa was following the procedure. That thought really fucked me up for while.
Surprisingly, the only student I've personally taught in my class / knew on a personal level that was murdered was at that the "good school" where I had my practicum. His name was Jason. It happened after I had left, but I knew Jason. I knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. I knew he was upset with the lack of attention he was getting at home. I knew him. When he was gunned down at a fast food restaurant less than a mile from campus on a school day over a drug deal gone intentionally wrong. My mentor from the practicum personally reached out to me about it. When Jason died it was a big event at that "good school". It was unordinary, the school mobilized a lot of capital to take care of its students in the aftermath, hiring special grief counselors. I imagine it was spoken about for many months in the hallways, that they held many special events for the remaining students, and it's still probably brought up occasionally amongst the staff even though that cohort of kids is long gone.
But Brian. If Brian died, I knew it'd be just a little blip on the radar and then it's over and gone forever. They'll make a little announcement, they'll say his name next to the others during the next rally and then it's business as usual. The different experience between a child that attends a "good school" and grows up in a "good neighborhood" and the child who attends these Title IX schools in these deadly neighborhoods is just so incredibly different it's wild.
After that incident with Brian, there were three other major events that I experienced. One was a threat of a possible active school shooter. I really don't know what happened, there was a lot of confusion. Just a normal day, then an alarm, I remember thinking how I didn't remember there being a drill planned for that day. Then an announcement, then a lot of panic. Then I remember ushering kids from the hallway into my room, then locking the door, then shushing my kids (thankfully they were all very quiet for once), then turning the lights off, then encouraging the students to hide along the wall by the door, then taping paper over the doors window, then sitting in silence for a long while with crying and scared kids, and then it was over. I still honestly have no real certain information of what happened. From the grapevine I gathered that there was a man on campus who may or may not have been looking for someone and who may or may not have had a gun and who left pretty quickly. The majority of the time I spent locked in that classroom with those kids wondering wtf was going on, the situation was already over and no one knew.
The second event was very similar. I was monitoring lunch when a fight broke out (a pretty rare event surprisingly). When these fights break out there's always a ton of kids who crowd around the fighting students and make it extremely difficult to break it up. Earlier in the school year a teacher broke her wrist trying to break up and fight and we'd been given training to leave it up to the security on campus. So when the fight happened I didn't even try to get involved. I just watched from a little ways away. Then suddenly a student yelled that one of the people fighting had a gun. Instant mayhem. Kids running in every direction. Tripping, falling, jumping over each other, me doing my best to direct traffic. No one listening. The area starts clearing out quickly, but there was never a gun. That kid who yelled it out was just trying to be funny. It wasn't funny, but it was a relief.
Then the third event was the shooting of Stephon Clark. Stephon Clark had attended the school at one point. Random Fact: Stephon Clark and I actually went to that school during the same time period, but I didn't know him. He was one year younger than me. I have a lot of friends who are his friends it wouldn't be strange if I've met him a number of times and just can't remember considering how close our circle of friends were. The community around that high school is not very big it's often that the alumni still have sisters or brothers or cousins or just a little homie from across the way attending after they leave. Also everyone sort of has ties to each other in some way because it's a very insular community. So the shooting of Stephon Clark was a big deal on campus. But it happened very close to the end of the school year, and I ended up never returning to work at that school. I know there were a bunch of protests and walk outs on campus but I wasn't around to see it.
When that year ended, I thought I would be kept on for the next year. Idk what happened but I was never contacted about a contract renewal. I was a long term sub and not a teacher there and I later learned that the lack of contact happened in error but at the time it felt like I had been silently fired. As a sub I did not have an option to convert my 9 month contract to a 12 month pay out plan so that summer I lived off my savings believing that I did not have a job waiting on me at the beginning of the next school year and I had a decision to make. So far teaching had not been what I was expecting at all. I went from making 32k in Alabama to making 30k in California. I was beyond destitute. My quality of life that year was in the dumps. I lived on my mothers couch for the entire 9 months and my mom is low key a hoarder and her faux leather couch was peeling and flaking, so it wasn't really fun. I was making $15/hr and that's not a lot so I thought I'd try looking for something different. And it sucked. I sent a ton of applications in to laboratories with no bites. for 2 months I was unemployed, not eligible for unemployment, and I burned through almost all of my savings. Right after the school year started it was clear that I'd have to go back to school in order to get away from teaching. So I called my old academic advisor and holy hell that saint she accepted me on the spot. I remember she said "Don't worry just come back to school right now".
and I went "right now? The semester has already started and I haven't even applied yet"
and she told me not to worry about that. That she would handle it and she did. Shout out to her she changed my life. I guess this is a perk of going to a small school. She knew me very well because at my college there are less than 30 physics students across all levels at any one time. If the department drops much lower than that it's always at risk of being shut down. She needed a student and I needed a school. It all just came together.
I had to submit an application as a formality and then a week later I drove my crappy car that broke down everywhere from California back to Alabama as a graduate level physics student for the fall 2018 semester. I was homeless for a little bit but an old buddy from college let me sleep on his floor for $300/mo. Shout out to him. The house was trash with roaches and mice but it definitely beat sleeping in my car. I slept in the dining room under a table for about 6 months. I spent my last little money on a 7 dollar air mattress and a pump for it and that thing sprung a leak 3 months later. I was always waking up with my butt on the ground lol. I couldn't pay my rent the second month but during that month, I got an internship at a DoD contracting company starting that summer and my advisor put me in touch with a professor who had grant money for research assistants. I started making $1k per month off that. Plus I got a job as a waitress and I was in business. After that school year ended I started my internship summer of 2019. When it was over, during the end of the internship presentations while leadership was in the room, I threw it all out there and just asked for a job. Straight up I literally ended my presentation with "And that's why you should hire me". And those dudes said yea sure. My 10 week summer internship was directly converted into a co-op (with a pay bump. hell yea). A room opened up in the place I was staying at so I got upgraded from sleeping under a table to sleeping in an empty room. I bought another blow up mattress and quit my job as a waitress. ya girl started doing big things. I graduated on time Spring 2020 and my coop with that company was converted into a full time position and just like that I was an engineer.
One of these days, if I can, I'd like to open up my own school. I think that'd be really cool to come back not as a teacher with my boots on the ground but as a founder one day. And hopefully at that time I can help some of these kids from these Title IX schools change their outcomes and provide them with better opportunities.
submitted by 4yelhsa to TeachersInTransition [link] [comments]
I graduated in December 2016 with a degree in Physics concentrating in secondary education. My degree program was essentially a double major, they removed the requirements for a couple of courses from physics major and added in an entire course load of education courses. I graduated with more than 160 credit hours and still I was terribly under prepared for handling a classroom on my own.
My practicum assignment was at a "good school". The teacher I worked under my last semester had nearly flawless classroom control; mostly due to the student population generally being well behaved, but I didn't understand that at the time. The classroom management during my teaching periods was also pretty good. She taught me her methods for classroom management and I thought I had it down. Plus when I left she sent me away with a large binder of her lessons, so I didn't really need worry about lesson planning. I thought I was ready. I was incredibly thankful to her and confident when I accepted my mid-year posting at a Title IX school.
And what a mistake that was. That school and that district was insane. I accepted a posting to teach Physics to 11 and 12th graders and physical science to the 9th and 10th graders. This school ran on a block schedule so I had 8 periods of approximately 30 students that where I saw half of my students every other day with 2 hour long classes. When I arrived I found that my senior students had been with a sub the entire first semester learning physical science, that their math teacher did not exist, and that their ability to handle the rigor of physics was at absolute 0. Almost immediately after I began all of my senior students were failing. Big problem.
I was quickly pulled into a meeting with the principal and leadership where I was essentially told that if these students did not pass my class I would need to look for other employment come next year. Crank up the stress. Administration did not care that these kids did not deserve to pass physics due to their lacking foundations in math. I still don't understand how they expect students to pass physics which is based on algebra II/trig/geometry when these kids are barely studying algebra 1 under a constant string of revolving incompetent substitutes. But I was scared, so I essentially removed all maths from my class and just taught conceptual things. Basically instead of I throw the ball do the math to determine it's trajectory based on these initial numbers, the tasks became I throw the ball explain draw it's flight path and explain why it looks like that. It felt like I was doing these kids a huge disservice, but at the end of the year most of my students had passed physics and were onto the next course.
Aside from the curriculum requirements, the classroom management that entire year was a crap shoot. I found it impossible to manage these students who could not understand the concepts and did not want to learn them. I had boys flashing me their genitals, there were fights, there were students tossing things everywhere, they just could not shut up for even a moment, they stood on tables, they took my things, they stood in my space, and it was impossible to get anything done. I even had one student try to bribe me with her car and "sexual favors" for a passing grade on the final (holy fuck that was terrible).
Notably I remember that sometime during my 3rd or 4th month there, a student I'd never seen before was escorted into my classroom by police in handcuffs. They sat him down without a word, uncuffed him, and pulled me into the hallway where I was informed that this kid was on some type of reformation program. That he'd be attending my class from that day forward and that if he misbehaved to call them (the police!?) because he was "active" and "serious". lol wtf? That student unsurprisingly was fighting in my classroom almost immediately.
And those were just problems in my classroom, in that school during my first (and only) semester there were numerous fights in the halls between students, and even some between students and their teachers, students were caught having sex during school hours, there was a sex scandal between a teacher and her student and then she disappeared shortly after. There was a gun incident at a basketball game. After that they started making teachers come to school an hour earlier so that we could search every student as they came onto campus. I pulled plenty of weapons off kids during this time. And they made a locked door policy so that if students were late and missed the morning check they'd have to come through the front office to get it done by the staff there. It was dreadfully ineffective. I watched students jump the fences and be let in by others daily.
Around this time we got word that were was a shooting at our feeder school (a middle school that sends their kids to our high school). A student was murdered right outside of campus (literally in front of the neighboring building).
I worked at that school for only a single semester, and that wasn't by choice. After scaring me about the security of my job I worked really hard to keep it. I kept up with the crazy shenanigans happening on and around our campus, more than 90% of my students passed my class (even tho in my opinion they did not deserve to) and I spent many late nights rewriting my lesson plans and grading the work of my 240 students. I arrived at school at 6am I didn't get to leave until 4pm and I spent all night until 12 or 1am preparing for the next day on a $32k per year salary. And none of it mattered. After doing everything they asked of me that semester, they pink slipped me anyway. Asking around, I found out that a large majority of the first year teachers receive pink slips regardless of their performance and as a big fuck you I guess. They expected me to apply for my job a second time where I would definitely get it again and start off the year with a reset tenure timeline.
So I decided "fuck that" and moved home onto my mom's couch in California after summer school ended. Remember that school where the murder happened? I taught summer school for high school and middle school students there. And unexpectedly it was the best time I ever had teaching. I taught 3 periods of high school students (chemistry cuz whatever I guess the administration didn't care or something) and I taught 1 period of 7th grade earth science. In summer school classes were about 45 minutes each and the max class size I had was 20 kids per period. I only taught 2 kids at the middle school level.
Don't get me wrong, the conditions were still terrible. There were actively constructing within the school building that summer. The AC was turned off. The available classrooms not under renovation were incredibly tiny such that even though I didn't have more than 20 kids, they all had to practically sit on top of each other with less than 2 feet between them at any time. Every morning I had to seat kids in a certain order just to make sure everyone could actually reach their seats they were so close together. If a student came late there was always this huge shuffle where like 10 kids had to move around to make space so the late person could reach their desk. My desk was shoved into a tiny tiny little space as well and it was a tiny little desk so small that they should've just given me another kids desk and taken the one I had away. I would've preferred the extra space. Chemistry was one of the courses I didn't have to take in college and I was super not qualified to teach it to high school students. (Really wtf were they thinking? Lol I'm sure there were a ton of kids who needed remedial physics). But it didn't really matter that I was under educated in chemistry, since my teaching hours ended at noon and I had so few papers to grade, I had plenty of time to learn the curriculum and develop a lesson plan for the next day with assignments after grading papers. That summer I could easily get into bed before 8pm. It was amazing honestly.
Because I had so few students compared to the regular term, I was able to interact with each of them. Instead of being a number or a statistic in my grade book each student that summer was a real person I knew. I knew what they liked and didn't like, I spent time learning their hobbies and what they wanted to do. For kids who wanted to pursue STEM I had time to give them more attention/ feed their passion and for students who wanted to do something else I had time to get to know them as a person and understand what made them passionate about wrestling, or hair styling, or being a mechanic or whatever it was. It felt like a vacation even tho I was still working more than 8 hours a day.
A vacation I really needed because at the beginning of the new school year I moved back home to my mom's house and began teaching at my old high school which I knew was going to be rough based on my own experience as a student. I was hired as a "long term substitute" which I understand to be a way to circumvent my lack of credentials in the state of California. It allowed me to essentially operate as the teacher without having a license to teach. I (ironically) taught mathematics (algebra I and geometry). My teaching conditions were much better than my old school in some ways and much worse in others.
At my first school the kids were unruly but there wasn't anything that was specifically targeted towards me. They would mostly act out towards each other and leave me out of it and my new school it was the opposite. The kids were incredibly close with each other, so I still had problems with talking and general misbehavior, but when they acted out it was much more likely to be directed towards me specifically. I received a ton of threats of violence towards me personally that year. "I'll beat your ass Ms. 4Yelhsa" or "My mom/sistecousin/etc will beat your ass Ms. 4yelhsa" and there were plenty of comments on my appearance, voice, level of income, etc. Instead of bullying each other the kids essentially bullied me and there wasn't much I could do about it.
This school used a method of conflict resolution called "Restorative Justice". This essentially meant that regular forms of punishment such as in school suspensions, or detentions, etc were reserved to especially bad behavior. When a kid threatened to hit me they would be removed from my class for a few days but for the comments it was expected that I would handle that on my own through these "restorative sessions". Basically if a student acted out in my classroom, I was supposed to schedule what amounts to a counseling meeting with them where we would both discuss what happened and come to some sort of accord. I would ask that student why they felt like acting out, I was supposed to inquire to them about how my methods of teaching or classroom management caused them to act out, then I was supposed to explain to them why acting out like that was wrong and get them to agree to a deal to stop acting out if I fixed the things they brought up during our discussion. A conversation would basically go.
Student: Ms. Yelhsa I talked over you because so and so was helping me with x.
Me: Ok well why don't you raise your hand and I can help you with that and that way anyone who has the same question can also get my help
Student: No. I didn't want to do that because I didn't want to talk in front of everyone
Me: Ok why don't you just hold it until after the lesson is done then?
Student: But then I'll forget.
Me: Well you can't talk while I'm talking because it disrupts the class and distracts me from teaching everyone
Student: It's not even that big of a deal. I was just talking with them real quick.
It never worked as kids just talked in circles and were always unwilling to compromise (obviously because they're kids). It was nonsense, it didn't work, and it made it impossible for me to remove distractions from my classroom. It also took time away from other students because I would need to spend minutes having 1 on 1 debates essentially with children about how they should be behaving in my class and trying to bribe them into good behavior. I'll give you guys an extra 5 minutes of free time if we can be quiet during the next 20 minutes kind of energy.
Fights at the second school didn't happen on campus as much as at my first school, but the violence off campus was immense. I feel like several children from this school died every month. We held memorials for them during lunch and spoke about them during rallies. Over the intercom they'd make announcements about it. I'd often come across groups of students weeping during passing periods or lunch.
There was one time where a student was absent from my class for over a month, let's call him Brian. As like what I always did I marked his assignments as 0's, I mentioned it to leadership, I sent home some nominal communication about his attendance/grades to the guardian on file, etc. I followed the procedure. Then one day he was just back randomly and I let him have it. I gave him this huge lecture about how he needs to be concerned for his future, that school is important, that a good education could get him out of this neighborhood with these gangs and drugs, etc. And he stood there and took it then after I was done he very calmly told me that he'd been shot and that he nearly died and that's why he was gone all that time. And I really didn't believe him (even tho I should have considering the frequent deaths of our students to gun violence). I told him he shouldn't tell jokes like that and then he showed me his wound.
Imagining myself marking his assignments as 0's not really giving to much thought on it, emailing his parents about his attendance, going about like normal. What if he had really died? And I marked his grades as 0's? He went from a C to a solidly failing my class between the shooting and his death? Then when they put him in the dirt , he's got an F in Ms. 4yelhsa's class because Ms. 4yelhsa was following the procedure. That thought really fucked me up for while.
Surprisingly, the only student I've personally taught in my class / knew on a personal level that was murdered was at that the "good school" where I had my practicum. His name was Jason. It happened after I had left, but I knew Jason. I knew what he wanted to be when he grew up. I knew he was upset with the lack of attention he was getting at home. I knew him. When he was gunned down at a fast food restaurant less than a mile from campus on a school day over a drug deal gone intentionally wrong. My mentor from the practicum personally reached out to me about it. When Jason died it was a big event at that "good school". It was unordinary, the school mobilized a lot of capital to take care of its students in the aftermath, hiring special grief counselors. I imagine it was spoken about for many months in the hallways, that they held many special events for the remaining students, and it's still probably brought up occasionally amongst the staff even though that cohort of kids is long gone.
But Brian. If Brian died, I knew it'd be just a little blip on the radar and then it's over and gone forever. They'll make a little announcement, they'll say his name next to the others during the next rally and then it's business as usual. The different experience between a child that attends a "good school" and grows up in a "good neighborhood" and the child who attends these Title IX schools in these deadly neighborhoods is just so incredibly different it's wild.
After that incident with Brian, there were three other major events that I experienced. One was a threat of a possible active school shooter. I really don't know what happened, there was a lot of confusion. Just a normal day, then an alarm, I remember thinking how I didn't remember there being a drill planned for that day. Then an announcement, then a lot of panic. Then I remember ushering kids from the hallway into my room, then locking the door, then shushing my kids (thankfully they were all very quiet for once), then turning the lights off, then encouraging the students to hide along the wall by the door, then taping paper over the doors window, then sitting in silence for a long while with crying and scared kids, and then it was over. I still honestly have no real certain information of what happened. From the grapevine I gathered that there was a man on campus who may or may not have been looking for someone and who may or may not have had a gun and who left pretty quickly. The majority of the time I spent locked in that classroom with those kids wondering wtf was going on, the situation was already over and no one knew.
The second event was very similar. I was monitoring lunch when a fight broke out (a pretty rare event surprisingly). When these fights break out there's always a ton of kids who crowd around the fighting students and make it extremely difficult to break it up. Earlier in the school year a teacher broke her wrist trying to break up and fight and we'd been given training to leave it up to the security on campus. So when the fight happened I didn't even try to get involved. I just watched from a little ways away. Then suddenly a student yelled that one of the people fighting had a gun. Instant mayhem. Kids running in every direction. Tripping, falling, jumping over each other, me doing my best to direct traffic. No one listening. The area starts clearing out quickly, but there was never a gun. That kid who yelled it out was just trying to be funny. It wasn't funny, but it was a relief.
Then the third event was the shooting of Stephon Clark. Stephon Clark had attended the school at one point. Random Fact: Stephon Clark and I actually went to that school during the same time period, but I didn't know him. He was one year younger than me. I have a lot of friends who are his friends it wouldn't be strange if I've met him a number of times and just can't remember considering how close our circle of friends were. The community around that high school is not very big it's often that the alumni still have sisters or brothers or cousins or just a little homie from across the way attending after they leave. Also everyone sort of has ties to each other in some way because it's a very insular community. So the shooting of Stephon Clark was a big deal on campus. But it happened very close to the end of the school year, and I ended up never returning to work at that school. I know there were a bunch of protests and walk outs on campus but I wasn't around to see it.
When that year ended, I thought I would be kept on for the next year. Idk what happened but I was never contacted about a contract renewal. I was a long term sub and not a teacher there and I later learned that the lack of contact happened in error but at the time it felt like I had been silently fired. As a sub I did not have an option to convert my 9 month contract to a 12 month pay out plan so that summer I lived off my savings believing that I did not have a job waiting on me at the beginning of the next school year and I had a decision to make. So far teaching had not been what I was expecting at all. I went from making 32k in Alabama to making 30k in California. I was beyond destitute. My quality of life that year was in the dumps. I lived on my mothers couch for the entire 9 months and my mom is low key a hoarder and her faux leather couch was peeling and flaking, so it wasn't really fun. I was making $15/hr and that's not a lot so I thought I'd try looking for something different. And it sucked. I sent a ton of applications in to laboratories with no bites. for 2 months I was unemployed, not eligible for unemployment, and I burned through almost all of my savings. Right after the school year started it was clear that I'd have to go back to school in order to get away from teaching. So I called my old academic advisor and holy hell that saint she accepted me on the spot. I remember she said "Don't worry just come back to school right now".
and I went "right now? The semester has already started and I haven't even applied yet"
and she told me not to worry about that. That she would handle it and she did. Shout out to her she changed my life. I guess this is a perk of going to a small school. She knew me very well because at my college there are less than 30 physics students across all levels at any one time. If the department drops much lower than that it's always at risk of being shut down. She needed a student and I needed a school. It all just came together.
I had to submit an application as a formality and then a week later I drove my crappy car that broke down everywhere from California back to Alabama as a graduate level physics student for the fall 2018 semester. I was homeless for a little bit but an old buddy from college let me sleep on his floor for $300/mo. Shout out to him. The house was trash with roaches and mice but it definitely beat sleeping in my car. I slept in the dining room under a table for about 6 months. I spent my last little money on a 7 dollar air mattress and a pump for it and that thing sprung a leak 3 months later. I was always waking up with my butt on the ground lol. I couldn't pay my rent the second month but during that month, I got an internship at a DoD contracting company starting that summer and my advisor put me in touch with a professor who had grant money for research assistants. I started making $1k per month off that. Plus I got a job as a waitress and I was in business. After that school year ended I started my internship summer of 2019. When it was over, during the end of the internship presentations while leadership was in the room, I threw it all out there and just asked for a job. Straight up I literally ended my presentation with "And that's why you should hire me". And those dudes said yea sure. My 10 week summer internship was directly converted into a co-op (with a pay bump. hell yea). A room opened up in the place I was staying at so I got upgraded from sleeping under a table to sleeping in an empty room. I bought another blow up mattress and quit my job as a waitress. ya girl started doing big things. I graduated on time Spring 2020 and my coop with that company was converted into a full time position and just like that I was an engineer.
One of these days, if I can, I'd like to open up my own school. I think that'd be really cool to come back not as a teacher with my boots on the ground but as a founder one day. And hopefully at that time I can help some of these kids from these Title IX schools change their outcomes and provide them with better opportunities.
2023.06.08 19:52 CompetitiveGreen3918 AITA for not sympathizing with my boyfriend?
I, (20yr) Female, and my boyfriend (20yr) Male, have been dating for 6 years and i have frankly grown tired of our relationship. I can admit i have commitment issues and have worked on them and most of my decisions to break up have been reasonable. Issues with the george floyd situation, issues with our mental being, issues with stability and a future together. We always ended up back together, we are opposites with minor similarities. Over the years his OCD and severe anxiety has worsened and i am guilted take in all of it. There have been numerous occasions that i would be gentle and patient with him about how his thoughts would not make sense in a realistic mind and would explain in full detail with proof on how that whatever scenario in his mind was playing was not possible at all. He would invalidate all of these with questions that would not make sense. Recently i moved in to a new place and I’m on the top floor which eases my anxiety of break ins. I don’t live in a bad area but its better safe than sorry. I brace the door every-time I’m here alone and do rounds to ensure I’m alone and secure. One night he was sleeping over he previously heard i squeak that i did not and he asked if it was my door and i said that the door was locked and braced, i had checked it four times that night and i can see from my bedroom if the door is being opened no matter how in my phone i am. He asks what if someone was here already and left and put the brace up. Now does that make sense to anyone? How does one lock and brace a door on the inside from the outside? I said exactly that but he countered with what if u were hypnotized to forget and put the brace up after they already SA’d you. Now i don’t understand the aftermath of an assault because i am fortunate to never have experienced it but from podcasts and victims speaking out i hear it is hard to forget, that they remember every moment and every detail and go through intense therapy. I assured him that i am capable of making a scene in times of distress there is no way in a struggle everything is in exactly the same place they were when there was not a struggle. No wounds, sign of break in, no one heard anything, no one saw anything. Except him of course he heard and could solve the case immediately. It doesnt make sense. I cannot sympathize with him if my explanations are not even brought into consideration. I get drained so much thinking about it. I lived with him and his family regrettably and made it my best effort to communicate that it was not my idea and that i never wanted to. I was homeless at that time and would rather sleep at a cafe in the mornings and work at night than to live in his family home. They are jus below well off and personally i dont think they know struggle too well as they are in the mindset of “$1200 for a small one bedroom? I bought a house with that.” Its a new age rent is high and so is everything else. I found the best place for me and only me and got a good deal. I am proud of myself to make it here and no one can take that from me. Living there terrified me of the idea of being kicked out again but i was ready it just hurt more because my boyfriend would display our personal arguments to his family leading them to take his side as i wanted to remain private and quiet. I was even guilted by his mother for not picking up the phone during my classes because he apparently had a breakdown because of it leaving them to deal with it. I wanted to leave the moment she said that but i was thinking strategically and decided to stay but actively look for places to leave. That same night he said to me “i give you everything shelter, food, and rides and you dont even want to listen to my concerns?!” It hurt me. Deeply. I never wanted to be there and had never asked to. Why was i being seen that way? I never asked for rides to work, he wouldnt give me the option to do otherwise. I even filled the tank out of guilt and offered to buy my own groceries. Forgot to mention, my boyfriend also is obsessed with a past small incident with a weird man in a hotel lobby that i was staying at. I wont get into much detail other than that man was weird and single handedly ruined my relationship. I wish i can tell that man what he has done but im sure he forgot about us. It was a year ago. I was not able to enjoy time alone from then on. Without being called 7 times by my boyfriend because he heard a weird sound on the first call and wanted to stay on the phone for an hour to talk about his theories of my SA experience. While my friends were bothered by him calling for himself and burdening me with it when im just trying to enjoy some time out. I can’t randomly send old pics of us because he thinks someone else sent them even though i said i just wanted to remind u of it. I cant take a phone call from my insurance alone because he wants to make sure its not a guy im talking to. I cant express my feelings to my friends about relationship issues because it’ll ruin their image of him and he will feel insecure. I cant break up with him or i will look like a user because even though i didnt want their help his parents believe that i am using him for a house and food. My friends and therapist have told me that im doing it to myself at this point but i just dont know how to leave him. I love him truly but his issues are not within my capabilities to help. I feel like im the issue for wanting some peace. I want to go out and enjoy nice dates and go see movies at night and wander. Alone or with friends. I cherish him but i can see how we arent made to last that long. I dont know what to do. And before anyone concludes that maybe what he is saying is plausible, maybe she doesnt listen. I do. I listen to everything and he demands answers even when he says doesnt need answers. There is no right to the answers all of them are wrong no matter the evidence or reasonability. 30 questions are asked in a loop and you are not allowed to show annoyance at all our else he starts “crying” i put in quotes bc he has dry tears until he actually gets on the ground. I was not raised the best to handle these emotions but i try to be comforting for him and its hard to not get annoyed at the same questions over and over again. Oh and you dont get a break during it either. You need 15 minutes alone to think? No he will sit there and talk to you. You need a night to sleep on it? No you need a breather and to just take a second? No youre running away from your issues and making it worse youre whats bad. I don’t understand what i did. But i know i did nothing wrong. And if i did then i take full responsibility. I have been stressed for 19 years and just want to enjoy my new beginning and ever since ive moved out his family have shown how much they didnt want me there and ive noticed. His mom not eating dinner because i made it, his family going out to eat and cooking dinners only on nights that i work later, being included in things last. His sister has a boyfriend who in my opinion is… odd but hes golden to everyone. And he isnt treated the way i am. I help set up parties for them. No pictures of me in them are included in the post, i try to get them presents they are set aside and unused. They do not personally wanna talk to me but go out with his sister’s boyfriend and willingly start the conversation. They only talk up for him but i only get criticism. I have a good sense in people and it has never failed me. I knew they didnt like me and i knew my boyfriend would not stand up for me. Am i the asshole for just wanting some peace in my life after dealing with so much from others lives?
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2023.06.08 19:25 Drakos8706 Powerless (part 37)
Previous
Captain Vohr’Doe was waiting in the hangar as Kahv’Hosh set the shuttle down, a slew of emotions raging inside her, all vying to be the leading sentiment. Though, she - of course - would probably have to lean more towards 'gratitude’, if made to pick a single one. She was more than grateful that her crew were no longer in danger - and yes, that even included him - and that those pirates were no longer a threat to anyone else, either.
And then there was the obvious awe at the humans had weaponized gravity; she had heard the horror stories of what could happen if a gravity plate malfunctioned - she had to have electrical replace the ones in the gym just a few days ago, as Kyle had pushed them up to 15G in his training - but to actually use it as a weapon?...
And, of course, there was an overwhelming amount of anger. Well, maybe not anger, per se; but there wasn’t really a word for the feeling between extreme frustration, and anger. What kept her from completely registering it as anger was her wholehearted belief that he had good intentions for having something so destructive on board her ship. But that only just tempered the vexation she felt at him having smuggled a gravity bomb onto her ship! Not only that, but there were two crates that had been marked as ‘gravity generators’, which she had initially assumed were for his comfort, to put his room - or possibly his campsite - to a more comfortable gravity. But she could see now how very wrong she was.
As the door to the shuttle opened, she watched first Admiral Shane, then Kahv’Hosh exit the craft. Kyle exited after a delay of a few seconds, and after sweeping the hangar with his gaze, he lowered it when it met her’s, looking for all intents like her nephew when he gets caught doing something he shouldn’t, and - not for the first time - an almost motherly feeling came over her. Which wasn’t so far out of the question, seeing as - according to the data provided on them - humans were by far the shortest-lived people in Galactic Records, where the shortest-lived species after them - the rahv’oyeck - averaged around 500 years, give or take a few decades.
Not to mention the fact that - for however short a time, he was a part of her crew, and as such, she instinctively felt protective of him, the fact that - as his captain - she was responsible for him notwithstanding. Plus, he really did seem to be almost ‘childlike’ at times, with a simple - almost naive - attitude towards the goings on around him. Not that he was clueless when it came to interacting with others; as many of the crew had come to find out, apparently.
But it was his obvious contrition that tempered her attitude, so that when they had made their way over to her, it had simmered down to intense irritation. Once they were standing before her, Kyle finally looked up to meet her gaze, and she felt her heart soften further at the expression on his face; not that she would let him know that, of course.
“Would you care to explain yourself, Mr. Redding?” she asked, being sure to keep the edge to her voice; she couldn't be seen as ‘soft’.
“I didn't know that they were sending it,” he began quickly, ”I only found out about it after I got to my equipment room, the first time.”
“Them,” she replied, and at his confused look, continued,
“Them; plural: there were two crates listed under ‘gravity generators’, and they were both the same size. I don't believe that the other one actually contains gravity plates stacked up; not this time.”
Kyle gave a look of understanding, and she believed that he really did momentarily forget about the other one.
“Right,” he said, “Two. Yeah, I didn't know they were gonna send them…”
“And afterward, it never occurred to you to tell me that you had two bombs on board that could make this entire ship - and everyone on board - become one dense atom?!” A little more edge crept into her voice than she would have liked at that moment. It was Admiral Shane, however, who answered; taking a step forward, he cleared his throat.
“Captain, if I may?...” It was the respect - the deference - in his voice that gave her pause, and helped to calm her thoughts a bit. She nodded in affirmation, and he continued,
“What would happen to us - in the immediate sense - if this ship were to lose all power right now; primary, and emergency backup power?”
The question seemed so random, that her mind basically blanked out, and she found herself saying the first thing that came to her mind.
“We would all begin floating, seeing as the artificial gravity would be out, as well.”
“Precisely,” he continued, “And short of directly supplying power to the artificial gravity, how could we get the plates to work?”
She began to understand his point.
“I see where this is going, Admiral, but unless I’m very much mistaken, there were no ports on that box that would accept any power crystals with the required energy to fuel that miniature black hole. Which means that it had power the whole time.”
“That's true,” he said in a mollifying tone, “But the power to the core was disconnected, and needed a code that would cause even an A.I. trouble hacking it, as it's a 300,000-page code, randomly coded in every written language known to humankind. There are even symbols in the code that don't show up on the screen, if someone were to try to hack it manually; an A.I. is needed to even crack the code within a year. And only Kay’Eighty has the codes for those two programmed into her memory.
“So,” he concluded, “While I agree entirely with you that he should have let you know about them, I can give you my word - on behalf of the honor of all humans - that no amount of damage could cause an accidental activation. While I won't say that the other one is harmless, I can assure you that there is no chance of it going off by accident. However, I won’t hesitate to take it off of your ship, if you so desire.”
She took a moment to digest everything that Admiral Shane said, and eventually came to a conclusion.
“No, I’ll allow him to keep it on the ship; I would say that there's likely never going to be a reason that we would need it, but I would have said the same thing this morning, and we can all see how wrong that was.”
“If you like,” Kyle offered, “We could attach it to like, a missile, or something, and Kay’Eighty could give you a data chip with the code for it.”
She thought for a few seconds, then nodded.
“That sounds acceptable; but what if we need it detached?”
“She can attach it to the outside on a molecular level with her nanobots, and detach it the same way.”
She nodded her head, and then sighed.
“Well, I won't pretend that I’m not happy about the way this all played out; still, I’m just glad their cargo holds and brigs showed no signs of life. At least we didn't send any innocents to their doom with that ploy. You could have at least told me what it was when I asked you why you needed the scan of the pirate ships in the first place.”
“Yeah,” he replied in that casual tone of voice that she would tolerate from few others, further enforcing that matronly feeling over him, “But we didn't have time for you to be pissed off at me, then… But - for the record - I am sorry for not telling you; I should have let you know a lot sooner.”
She gave him the sternest look she could muster in that moment, and replied,
“I’ll accept your apology if - and only if - you let me examine this fruit tree of yours.”
Kyle's face brightened, and a wide smile appeared as he said,
“Of course; you could've come seen it any time.”
She smiled at him, and turned to leave, passing Kah’Ri, who had held back - as per her request - while she talked to Kyle about the heavy ordnance he had on her ship. She heard the impact of the two, and the sound of them kissing, that was immediately mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps as Kahv’Hosh and Admiral Shane gave the two their privacy.
The meeting with the Council went smoother than she could have expected, with them simply stating that - as a interstellar ambassador - Kyle was authorized for a higher level of weaponry utilized in his protection, and as his current ship of transport, the Golden Egg had the authorization to use such weapons, if need be. They did - however - require any and all recordings of the interaction to be sent to the Council, for analysis of their capabilities.
There was also the matter of Grol’Rosh, the suul’mahr representative who had watched the probe’s descent into the dark of the planet below. The doctors felt that it was best to keep him in a medically induced coma, as when he was conscious - and heavily restrained - he was moaning and whimpering, rambling incoherently about the ‘darkness that sees, hiding the sea of flesh’, of ‘clawed feet on chitinous arms, too-long hands reaching from fanged tentacles’; and the sound, which he mentioned as the ‘screams of the damned from so many mouths, they know all, 'THEY ARE THE HOLES LIKE EYES!!!’
She noted the looks that ranged form disquiet, to disgust, but it was between the humans that she saw a look of understanding horror pass.
“But…” Kyle began weakly, looking at Admiral Shane, “That was just a movie. Wha-…?”
“Well,” the Admiral replied in a slightly dazed voice, “I think it’s safe to say that blowing the planet up is out of the question.”
“Or what?” Kyle began in amused incredulity, “A piece of it’s gonna hit a wormhole, and go back in time to Alaska sometime before the 1980’s?” The laugh he ended this with was close to hysterical, to which the Admiral shrugged.
“At this point, I wouldn’t rule anything out. However, the more likely scenario would be that it lands on a different planet, wreaksand havoc from there. Even worse would be for it to hit a previously uncontacted, sapient species’ home world. The results of a single cell of this… thing’s biomass were to make it to a planet with living creatures on it would be beyond catastrophic. There’s no amount of destruction - short of throwing it into a star, or a black hole - that I would trust the safety of the galaxy to, when it comes to the lifeform that calls this planet its home.”
Chairwoman Hahss’Chom spoke up at this.
“While I obviously have no knowledge of this movie the two of you reference, I must say that your assessments of this seem to be at least plausible. I don’t know so much about the time travel aspect, but it would seem that this would be the best summary of the events, here. It would appear that a sapient race evolved on this planet, and that their Gift was that of assimilation. At some point, it would seem they began assimilating each other, until they reached a critical mass, and ‘they’ became ‘it’. And from Grol’Rosh’s description, it doesn’t sound as if this is a pleasant experience for whatever they… it has become. I believe that it is not only a matter of protection for the wider galaxy - universe, even - but also as an act of mercy that we should put this… thing out of its misery.” There was a general murmur of agreement around the council chambers as no one seemed to want to disagree with that sentiment.
They moved the Golden Egg to the other side of the system from the planet, keeping the sun between it and them. Upon hearing about the ‘darkness that sees’, Kyle had exclaimed that that was what had bothered him so much about the planet; the darkness was watching them. They didn’t want to find out if the life form on the planet may be able to ‘stack’ itself ‘up’, away from the planet, and reach out to the ship were they to get over the dark side, but at the same time, no one wanted to be under the gaze of such a massive predator.
They were parked in that system for almost an entire Standard week, though, it should have been longer; however, with their A.I. able to make the calculations for them, they were able to drop further into subspace, where not only do the ‘shadows’ become larger - therefore reducing the ‘space’ needed to travel - but the speed of your craft rose exponentially, so it was extremely easy to overshoot one’s target, going a ‘shorter’ distance at a greatly multiplied speed.
The moon/ship was amazing to behold. It had - originally - had an outer layer of ice, with an inner ocean, and a deeper ice layer, followed by a rocky mantle, and heavy iron core. The humans - but really, the A.I. - had mined out the iron core, and used it in building the outer shell of the craft. The water was harvested - according to their records - and support columns on the inside were used to maintain integrity of the craft. It now appeared for all intents and purposes as a giant metal moon, with engines on one end, and millions of lights that dotted its surface, obviously viewports. A close-up scan showed that it was blanketed in guns, but those were obviously only big enough to serve as defense; it was apparent that this ship wasn’t built as a gunner.
Once it had come into the system - keeping out of ‘view’ from its dark side - they enveloped the planet with the craft’s tractor beam, the space around the planet lighting up to an almost gray aura, as the beam took hold. Once they had reported a full grip of the planet, the Europa Contingency dropped back into subspace, the planet ‘disappearing’ with them, only to ‘reappear’ around an hour later, the ship’s massive engines working more efficiently in subspace to move the much larger planet. Once they reappeared, the light around the planet went out as the Europa Contingency released it from the tractor beam, dropping back into subspace for an easier retreat from the sun.
No one wanted to go to look at what was happening to the planet, which would entail either getting into its range of ‘vision’, and also the possibility of seeing whatever it was that drove the suul’mahr representative insane. Readings showed the loss of mass, as the planet was burnt up in the corona of the star, and everyone watched on as the sun continued to consume its wayward planet. With the planet also having been thrown - not simply having 'fallen' - into the sun, it wasn’t long before it had been fully encased in the cleansing fires of the star.
She was also relieved to see that the humans had appropriately somber expressions, obviously taking no joy in the destruction - the mass loss of… ‘life’ - that they were responsible for. They watched the reading coming in with the seriousness of attending a loved one’s funeral, and never spoke a word, not in praise, or even the acknowledgement of what was happening. She was glad to see that they weren’t entirely aggressive, that while they had the capacity to not only think of these types of weapons, but to also create them, that they weren’t the type of people who would use them so willingly. She could see in their faces the regret they had in destroying this planet, even as it was done to save countless others; for someone would eventually break quarantine, either to try to exploit the resources ‘available’, or to use the ‘lifeform’ on the planet for their own twisted ploys. And so this was a necessary evil; though they were empathetic enough to realize it for the evil that it was.
After they had witnessed the destruction of the planet, the Admirals insisted on escorting the Golden Egg to Captala’Ellats, the space station that was the next stop on their itinerary. Not having any reason to refuse a military escort, Captain Vohr’Doe graciously accepted, and they were soon on their way; this had certainly earned a bit of a reprieve for her crew, and she wouldn’t say no to a bit of shore leave, herself.
The time it took to travel between that system, and the station went by fairly quickly for Kyle. He’d been alone most of his life, with little to no friends, so to have a group of friends now - who actually wanted to spend time with him, who would seek him out to do so - brought him to a new high that he had never acquired in his memory. But having acquired a girlfriend - one who came from a people whose culture emphasized affection - brought him to a level of bliss that he didn’t think was possible. Kah’Ri had taken to spending her nights in his room, as the only real difference between general, and officer’s quarters was a bigger gym, that also served as a bit of a lounge for the officers.
He had - of course - applied for shore leave, and it had been immediately approved. Kah’Ri had also applied, and likewise was approved immediately; she had apparently never really gone on shore leave that much, only ever going at certain spots that were closer to any drahk’mihn colonies they happened to go near, or similar space stations. They had opted to get a hotel separate from the one that the Captain would be hiring to room the crew, as staying in the same hotel as the rest of the crew on the same space station would be little different than being on the ship. Zeck’Tish had recommended her cousin’s hotel, stating that he could use the business. Not that he was failing - Captala’Ellats was a major space station along the trading lanes - but with the divide between insectoid, and vertebrate species, he didn’t get as much business as others might. Of course the insectoid races all patronized his hotel, but with the insectoid species making up only about a third of all known species in the Federation, that wasn’t as much business as one might like.
And so he was currently on a call with Kohr’Sahr and Kahs’Hahn, having invited them to meet up a few days prior.
“... and so we’ll have to stop by the Council Headquarters to give our testimony of our time spent with you,” Kahs’Hahn was saying through Kohr’Sahr, “But we should be able to meet up tomorrow; we’ll send you a message when we arrive on-station, and we’ll go from there.”
“Sounds good,” Kyle said, just as he heard the door open; he’d given Kah’Ri the authorization to unlock his bedroom door without her security card, and she’d authorized him for her’s, in turn, “We’ll see you, then.”
“We?” Kohr’Sahr asked - he had long since learned to tell the difference between their slight accents when talking.
Kyle turned to Kah’Ri, smiling as he put his arm around her waist, and she slipped her tail around his, while wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He noticed her eyes widen slightly as she saw who was on screen, and he looked in time to see Kohr’Sahr’s eyes also widen in shock. He opened his mouth slightly, and Kyle noticed the barely perceptible shake of Kah’Ri’s head. Kohr’Sahr then cleared his throat, and said,
“Well… it seems as if we made quite the impact on you, eh Kyle?” ending in an awkward chuckle.
“Well,” he continued, “I don’t want to keep you from packing; Kyle, we’ll talk later. It was nice meeting you,” he added to Kah’Ri, and before either of them could reply, he cut the call short. Kah’Ri gave a soft sigh, then turned to walk to the bag she’d left on the floor by the ‘wall’ in front of the door.
“Come on,” she said, “We’ve docked with the station, and it’s time for us to go.”
Grabbing his own bag from the bed, he followed after her, locking his door behind them, and slipping his arm back around her waist.
“Did you know him?” he asked as they made their way to the elevators; she sighed lightly, but answered with a simple,
“No.”
“Well,” he pressed gently, “He seemed to know you… What are you, like, a runaway princess, or something?” While he finished with a light chuckle, Kah’Ri gave another slight sigh, and stopped walking. Kyle looked at her, feeling a growing sense of unease.
“Holy shit,” he said as she remained silent, “Are you?!”
She closed her eyes for a second, then turned to look into his eyes.
“I promise,” she said, and he was absorbed by the genuine care in her gaze, “I’ll tell you everything; but not right now. Later, when it’s just you and me, I promise I’ll tell you the truth.”
He looked into her eyes for a second, seeing the tears that wanted to come, and simply reached out, putting his hand on her cheek, and drawing her in for a kiss. As they separated, he gave her a small wink, and said,
“C’mon, let’s go see this station.” She gave him a shy smile, and they set off again.
After they’d been checked out by one of the other security chiefs, they were met by a crowd of their crew mates, all of whom were milling about outside the ship. They were soon informed why, as the Captain came up to them and informed them that the Federation Council was conducting interviews with a number of the crew, most notably those who’d had contact with Kyle; they would be conducted by the Council Representative for their people. Kyle also had an interview scheduled, though his would be with the suun’mahs Representative, in a mirror reason for the interviews of the rest of the crew: where the crew was obviously being interviewed to see how the newest species fit in from their point of view, he would be interviewed to see how other humans might react to the Federation, along with a chance to voice any grievances of his own.
Soon enough, they had all been contacted by their respective Representatives, and led off into separate rooms. Kyle was glad to see that this wasn’t an interrogation room, again, looking more like a general conference room. The suun’mahs who was to be interviewing him was male, and hadn’t seemed taken aback by the presence of Cheshire, indicating that while he may - or may not - have known about Cheshire himself, the human drive to turn predators into traveling companions was nothing new to him.
“Well, Ambassador Redding, this shouldn’t take too long; a few questions about your time in the Federation, so far, and then we can have you out of here, and enjoying your time off.”
“Thank you,” he replied, “And please, call me Kyle.”
Representative Ran’Teek smiled as he put what Kyle recognized as a holocamera on the table.
“Of course,” he stated, “You don’t mind if I record this, do you?”
“Of course not,” Kyle responded.
The questioning indeed didn’t take very long, barely even ten minutes worth of explanation, while other parts he was able to supply with a simple transfer of video data. Kay’Eighty made her appearance for that, and Representative Ran’Teek had a few questions for her, as well. Mostly about what she may need for the A.I. to be properly accommodated in the Federation, though he was obviously in untrodden ground, on that topic. Soon enough, they were done, and had exited the room.
“Well, Kyle,” Representative Ran’Teek stated as they made their way to the ‘streets’ of the station, “I guess this is where we part ways; unless you’d like for me to show you around? I still have quite a bit of time before our ship leaves, and it would be my pleasure to show you a few sights.”
Kyle checked the time on his wrist, and seeing that he also had no message from Kah’Ri telling him she was done, he could see no reason to refuse.
“Sure,” he replied, smiling, “That would be great.”
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submitted by Drakos8706 to HFY [link] [comments]
Captain Vohr’Doe was waiting in the hangar as Kahv’Hosh set the shuttle down, a slew of emotions raging inside her, all vying to be the leading sentiment. Though, she - of course - would probably have to lean more towards 'gratitude’, if made to pick a single one. She was more than grateful that her crew were no longer in danger - and yes, that even included him - and that those pirates were no longer a threat to anyone else, either.
And then there was the obvious awe at the humans had weaponized gravity; she had heard the horror stories of what could happen if a gravity plate malfunctioned - she had to have electrical replace the ones in the gym just a few days ago, as Kyle had pushed them up to 15G in his training - but to actually use it as a weapon?...
And, of course, there was an overwhelming amount of anger. Well, maybe not anger, per se; but there wasn’t really a word for the feeling between extreme frustration, and anger. What kept her from completely registering it as anger was her wholehearted belief that he had good intentions for having something so destructive on board her ship. But that only just tempered the vexation she felt at him having smuggled a gravity bomb onto her ship! Not only that, but there were two crates that had been marked as ‘gravity generators’, which she had initially assumed were for his comfort, to put his room - or possibly his campsite - to a more comfortable gravity. But she could see now how very wrong she was.
As the door to the shuttle opened, she watched first Admiral Shane, then Kahv’Hosh exit the craft. Kyle exited after a delay of a few seconds, and after sweeping the hangar with his gaze, he lowered it when it met her’s, looking for all intents like her nephew when he gets caught doing something he shouldn’t, and - not for the first time - an almost motherly feeling came over her. Which wasn’t so far out of the question, seeing as - according to the data provided on them - humans were by far the shortest-lived people in Galactic Records, where the shortest-lived species after them - the rahv’oyeck - averaged around 500 years, give or take a few decades.
Not to mention the fact that - for however short a time, he was a part of her crew, and as such, she instinctively felt protective of him, the fact that - as his captain - she was responsible for him notwithstanding. Plus, he really did seem to be almost ‘childlike’ at times, with a simple - almost naive - attitude towards the goings on around him. Not that he was clueless when it came to interacting with others; as many of the crew had come to find out, apparently.
But it was his obvious contrition that tempered her attitude, so that when they had made their way over to her, it had simmered down to intense irritation. Once they were standing before her, Kyle finally looked up to meet her gaze, and she felt her heart soften further at the expression on his face; not that she would let him know that, of course.
“Would you care to explain yourself, Mr. Redding?” she asked, being sure to keep the edge to her voice; she couldn't be seen as ‘soft’.
“I didn't know that they were sending it,” he began quickly, ”I only found out about it after I got to my equipment room, the first time.”
“Them,” she replied, and at his confused look, continued,
“Them; plural: there were two crates listed under ‘gravity generators’, and they were both the same size. I don't believe that the other one actually contains gravity plates stacked up; not this time.”
Kyle gave a look of understanding, and she believed that he really did momentarily forget about the other one.
“Right,” he said, “Two. Yeah, I didn't know they were gonna send them…”
“And afterward, it never occurred to you to tell me that you had two bombs on board that could make this entire ship - and everyone on board - become one dense atom?!” A little more edge crept into her voice than she would have liked at that moment. It was Admiral Shane, however, who answered; taking a step forward, he cleared his throat.
“Captain, if I may?...” It was the respect - the deference - in his voice that gave her pause, and helped to calm her thoughts a bit. She nodded in affirmation, and he continued,
“What would happen to us - in the immediate sense - if this ship were to lose all power right now; primary, and emergency backup power?”
The question seemed so random, that her mind basically blanked out, and she found herself saying the first thing that came to her mind.
“We would all begin floating, seeing as the artificial gravity would be out, as well.”
“Precisely,” he continued, “And short of directly supplying power to the artificial gravity, how could we get the plates to work?”
She began to understand his point.
“I see where this is going, Admiral, but unless I’m very much mistaken, there were no ports on that box that would accept any power crystals with the required energy to fuel that miniature black hole. Which means that it had power the whole time.”
“That's true,” he said in a mollifying tone, “But the power to the core was disconnected, and needed a code that would cause even an A.I. trouble hacking it, as it's a 300,000-page code, randomly coded in every written language known to humankind. There are even symbols in the code that don't show up on the screen, if someone were to try to hack it manually; an A.I. is needed to even crack the code within a year. And only Kay’Eighty has the codes for those two programmed into her memory.
“So,” he concluded, “While I agree entirely with you that he should have let you know about them, I can give you my word - on behalf of the honor of all humans - that no amount of damage could cause an accidental activation. While I won't say that the other one is harmless, I can assure you that there is no chance of it going off by accident. However, I won’t hesitate to take it off of your ship, if you so desire.”
She took a moment to digest everything that Admiral Shane said, and eventually came to a conclusion.
“No, I’ll allow him to keep it on the ship; I would say that there's likely never going to be a reason that we would need it, but I would have said the same thing this morning, and we can all see how wrong that was.”
“If you like,” Kyle offered, “We could attach it to like, a missile, or something, and Kay’Eighty could give you a data chip with the code for it.”
She thought for a few seconds, then nodded.
“That sounds acceptable; but what if we need it detached?”
“She can attach it to the outside on a molecular level with her nanobots, and detach it the same way.”
She nodded her head, and then sighed.
“Well, I won't pretend that I’m not happy about the way this all played out; still, I’m just glad their cargo holds and brigs showed no signs of life. At least we didn't send any innocents to their doom with that ploy. You could have at least told me what it was when I asked you why you needed the scan of the pirate ships in the first place.”
“Yeah,” he replied in that casual tone of voice that she would tolerate from few others, further enforcing that matronly feeling over him, “But we didn't have time for you to be pissed off at me, then… But - for the record - I am sorry for not telling you; I should have let you know a lot sooner.”
She gave him the sternest look she could muster in that moment, and replied,
“I’ll accept your apology if - and only if - you let me examine this fruit tree of yours.”
Kyle's face brightened, and a wide smile appeared as he said,
“Of course; you could've come seen it any time.”
She smiled at him, and turned to leave, passing Kah’Ri, who had held back - as per her request - while she talked to Kyle about the heavy ordnance he had on her ship. She heard the impact of the two, and the sound of them kissing, that was immediately mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps as Kahv’Hosh and Admiral Shane gave the two their privacy.
The meeting with the Council went smoother than she could have expected, with them simply stating that - as a interstellar ambassador - Kyle was authorized for a higher level of weaponry utilized in his protection, and as his current ship of transport, the Golden Egg had the authorization to use such weapons, if need be. They did - however - require any and all recordings of the interaction to be sent to the Council, for analysis of their capabilities.
There was also the matter of Grol’Rosh, the suul’mahr representative who had watched the probe’s descent into the dark of the planet below. The doctors felt that it was best to keep him in a medically induced coma, as when he was conscious - and heavily restrained - he was moaning and whimpering, rambling incoherently about the ‘darkness that sees, hiding the sea of flesh’, of ‘clawed feet on chitinous arms, too-long hands reaching from fanged tentacles’; and the sound, which he mentioned as the ‘screams of the damned from so many mouths, they know all, 'THEY ARE THE HOLES LIKE EYES!!!’
She noted the looks that ranged form disquiet, to disgust, but it was between the humans that she saw a look of understanding horror pass.
“But…” Kyle began weakly, looking at Admiral Shane, “That was just a movie. Wha-…?”
“Well,” the Admiral replied in a slightly dazed voice, “I think it’s safe to say that blowing the planet up is out of the question.”
“Or what?” Kyle began in amused incredulity, “A piece of it’s gonna hit a wormhole, and go back in time to Alaska sometime before the 1980’s?” The laugh he ended this with was close to hysterical, to which the Admiral shrugged.
“At this point, I wouldn’t rule anything out. However, the more likely scenario would be that it lands on a different planet, wreaksand havoc from there. Even worse would be for it to hit a previously uncontacted, sapient species’ home world. The results of a single cell of this… thing’s biomass were to make it to a planet with living creatures on it would be beyond catastrophic. There’s no amount of destruction - short of throwing it into a star, or a black hole - that I would trust the safety of the galaxy to, when it comes to the lifeform that calls this planet its home.”
Chairwoman Hahss’Chom spoke up at this.
“While I obviously have no knowledge of this movie the two of you reference, I must say that your assessments of this seem to be at least plausible. I don’t know so much about the time travel aspect, but it would seem that this would be the best summary of the events, here. It would appear that a sapient race evolved on this planet, and that their Gift was that of assimilation. At some point, it would seem they began assimilating each other, until they reached a critical mass, and ‘they’ became ‘it’. And from Grol’Rosh’s description, it doesn’t sound as if this is a pleasant experience for whatever they… it has become. I believe that it is not only a matter of protection for the wider galaxy - universe, even - but also as an act of mercy that we should put this… thing out of its misery.” There was a general murmur of agreement around the council chambers as no one seemed to want to disagree with that sentiment.
They moved the Golden Egg to the other side of the system from the planet, keeping the sun between it and them. Upon hearing about the ‘darkness that sees’, Kyle had exclaimed that that was what had bothered him so much about the planet; the darkness was watching them. They didn’t want to find out if the life form on the planet may be able to ‘stack’ itself ‘up’, away from the planet, and reach out to the ship were they to get over the dark side, but at the same time, no one wanted to be under the gaze of such a massive predator.
They were parked in that system for almost an entire Standard week, though, it should have been longer; however, with their A.I. able to make the calculations for them, they were able to drop further into subspace, where not only do the ‘shadows’ become larger - therefore reducing the ‘space’ needed to travel - but the speed of your craft rose exponentially, so it was extremely easy to overshoot one’s target, going a ‘shorter’ distance at a greatly multiplied speed.
The moon/ship was amazing to behold. It had - originally - had an outer layer of ice, with an inner ocean, and a deeper ice layer, followed by a rocky mantle, and heavy iron core. The humans - but really, the A.I. - had mined out the iron core, and used it in building the outer shell of the craft. The water was harvested - according to their records - and support columns on the inside were used to maintain integrity of the craft. It now appeared for all intents and purposes as a giant metal moon, with engines on one end, and millions of lights that dotted its surface, obviously viewports. A close-up scan showed that it was blanketed in guns, but those were obviously only big enough to serve as defense; it was apparent that this ship wasn’t built as a gunner.
Once it had come into the system - keeping out of ‘view’ from its dark side - they enveloped the planet with the craft’s tractor beam, the space around the planet lighting up to an almost gray aura, as the beam took hold. Once they had reported a full grip of the planet, the Europa Contingency dropped back into subspace, the planet ‘disappearing’ with them, only to ‘reappear’ around an hour later, the ship’s massive engines working more efficiently in subspace to move the much larger planet. Once they reappeared, the light around the planet went out as the Europa Contingency released it from the tractor beam, dropping back into subspace for an easier retreat from the sun.
No one wanted to go to look at what was happening to the planet, which would entail either getting into its range of ‘vision’, and also the possibility of seeing whatever it was that drove the suul’mahr representative insane. Readings showed the loss of mass, as the planet was burnt up in the corona of the star, and everyone watched on as the sun continued to consume its wayward planet. With the planet also having been thrown - not simply having 'fallen' - into the sun, it wasn’t long before it had been fully encased in the cleansing fires of the star.
She was also relieved to see that the humans had appropriately somber expressions, obviously taking no joy in the destruction - the mass loss of… ‘life’ - that they were responsible for. They watched the reading coming in with the seriousness of attending a loved one’s funeral, and never spoke a word, not in praise, or even the acknowledgement of what was happening. She was glad to see that they weren’t entirely aggressive, that while they had the capacity to not only think of these types of weapons, but to also create them, that they weren’t the type of people who would use them so willingly. She could see in their faces the regret they had in destroying this planet, even as it was done to save countless others; for someone would eventually break quarantine, either to try to exploit the resources ‘available’, or to use the ‘lifeform’ on the planet for their own twisted ploys. And so this was a necessary evil; though they were empathetic enough to realize it for the evil that it was.
After they had witnessed the destruction of the planet, the Admirals insisted on escorting the Golden Egg to Captala’Ellats, the space station that was the next stop on their itinerary. Not having any reason to refuse a military escort, Captain Vohr’Doe graciously accepted, and they were soon on their way; this had certainly earned a bit of a reprieve for her crew, and she wouldn’t say no to a bit of shore leave, herself.
The time it took to travel between that system, and the station went by fairly quickly for Kyle. He’d been alone most of his life, with little to no friends, so to have a group of friends now - who actually wanted to spend time with him, who would seek him out to do so - brought him to a new high that he had never acquired in his memory. But having acquired a girlfriend - one who came from a people whose culture emphasized affection - brought him to a level of bliss that he didn’t think was possible. Kah’Ri had taken to spending her nights in his room, as the only real difference between general, and officer’s quarters was a bigger gym, that also served as a bit of a lounge for the officers.
He had - of course - applied for shore leave, and it had been immediately approved. Kah’Ri had also applied, and likewise was approved immediately; she had apparently never really gone on shore leave that much, only ever going at certain spots that were closer to any drahk’mihn colonies they happened to go near, or similar space stations. They had opted to get a hotel separate from the one that the Captain would be hiring to room the crew, as staying in the same hotel as the rest of the crew on the same space station would be little different than being on the ship. Zeck’Tish had recommended her cousin’s hotel, stating that he could use the business. Not that he was failing - Captala’Ellats was a major space station along the trading lanes - but with the divide between insectoid, and vertebrate species, he didn’t get as much business as others might. Of course the insectoid races all patronized his hotel, but with the insectoid species making up only about a third of all known species in the Federation, that wasn’t as much business as one might like.
And so he was currently on a call with Kohr’Sahr and Kahs’Hahn, having invited them to meet up a few days prior.
“... and so we’ll have to stop by the Council Headquarters to give our testimony of our time spent with you,” Kahs’Hahn was saying through Kohr’Sahr, “But we should be able to meet up tomorrow; we’ll send you a message when we arrive on-station, and we’ll go from there.”
“Sounds good,” Kyle said, just as he heard the door open; he’d given Kah’Ri the authorization to unlock his bedroom door without her security card, and she’d authorized him for her’s, in turn, “We’ll see you, then.”
“We?” Kohr’Sahr asked - he had long since learned to tell the difference between their slight accents when talking.
Kyle turned to Kah’Ri, smiling as he put his arm around her waist, and she slipped her tail around his, while wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He noticed her eyes widen slightly as she saw who was on screen, and he looked in time to see Kohr’Sahr’s eyes also widen in shock. He opened his mouth slightly, and Kyle noticed the barely perceptible shake of Kah’Ri’s head. Kohr’Sahr then cleared his throat, and said,
“Well… it seems as if we made quite the impact on you, eh Kyle?” ending in an awkward chuckle.
“Well,” he continued, “I don’t want to keep you from packing; Kyle, we’ll talk later. It was nice meeting you,” he added to Kah’Ri, and before either of them could reply, he cut the call short. Kah’Ri gave a soft sigh, then turned to walk to the bag she’d left on the floor by the ‘wall’ in front of the door.
“Come on,” she said, “We’ve docked with the station, and it’s time for us to go.”
Grabbing his own bag from the bed, he followed after her, locking his door behind them, and slipping his arm back around her waist.
“Did you know him?” he asked as they made their way to the elevators; she sighed lightly, but answered with a simple,
“No.”
“Well,” he pressed gently, “He seemed to know you… What are you, like, a runaway princess, or something?” While he finished with a light chuckle, Kah’Ri gave another slight sigh, and stopped walking. Kyle looked at her, feeling a growing sense of unease.
“Holy shit,” he said as she remained silent, “Are you?!”
She closed her eyes for a second, then turned to look into his eyes.
“I promise,” she said, and he was absorbed by the genuine care in her gaze, “I’ll tell you everything; but not right now. Later, when it’s just you and me, I promise I’ll tell you the truth.”
He looked into her eyes for a second, seeing the tears that wanted to come, and simply reached out, putting his hand on her cheek, and drawing her in for a kiss. As they separated, he gave her a small wink, and said,
“C’mon, let’s go see this station.” She gave him a shy smile, and they set off again.
After they’d been checked out by one of the other security chiefs, they were met by a crowd of their crew mates, all of whom were milling about outside the ship. They were soon informed why, as the Captain came up to them and informed them that the Federation Council was conducting interviews with a number of the crew, most notably those who’d had contact with Kyle; they would be conducted by the Council Representative for their people. Kyle also had an interview scheduled, though his would be with the suun’mahs Representative, in a mirror reason for the interviews of the rest of the crew: where the crew was obviously being interviewed to see how the newest species fit in from their point of view, he would be interviewed to see how other humans might react to the Federation, along with a chance to voice any grievances of his own.
Soon enough, they had all been contacted by their respective Representatives, and led off into separate rooms. Kyle was glad to see that this wasn’t an interrogation room, again, looking more like a general conference room. The suun’mahs who was to be interviewing him was male, and hadn’t seemed taken aback by the presence of Cheshire, indicating that while he may - or may not - have known about Cheshire himself, the human drive to turn predators into traveling companions was nothing new to him.
“Well, Ambassador Redding, this shouldn’t take too long; a few questions about your time in the Federation, so far, and then we can have you out of here, and enjoying your time off.”
“Thank you,” he replied, “And please, call me Kyle.”
Representative Ran’Teek smiled as he put what Kyle recognized as a holocamera on the table.
“Of course,” he stated, “You don’t mind if I record this, do you?”
“Of course not,” Kyle responded.
The questioning indeed didn’t take very long, barely even ten minutes worth of explanation, while other parts he was able to supply with a simple transfer of video data. Kay’Eighty made her appearance for that, and Representative Ran’Teek had a few questions for her, as well. Mostly about what she may need for the A.I. to be properly accommodated in the Federation, though he was obviously in untrodden ground, on that topic. Soon enough, they were done, and had exited the room.
“Well, Kyle,” Representative Ran’Teek stated as they made their way to the ‘streets’ of the station, “I guess this is where we part ways; unless you’d like for me to show you around? I still have quite a bit of time before our ship leaves, and it would be my pleasure to show you a few sights.”
Kyle checked the time on his wrist, and seeing that he also had no message from Kah’Ri telling him she was done, he could see no reason to refuse.
“Sure,” he replied, smiling, “That would be great.”
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2023.06.08 19:25 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
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⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
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2023.06.08 18:11 Thertch Return of the Obra Dinn Makes a Short and Mediocre Story One of the Most Engaging Narrative Experiences of All Time (Spoilers)
It only took about half an hour or so, and Return of the Obra Dinn had its anchor hooked into me so deep there was no escape. This is the type of game which doesn’t just pull, but rips you in with a harmonious approach centred around two main ideas:
One – its structure, and two – how progression is gated.
On the second point, it is a rare type of game whose very progression is untethered from any higher-level mechanical input, but instead occurs entirely within your own mind. This is a concept which is so rarely pulled off well, that the notable success stories in this domain (namely Return of the Obra Dinn itself, and the Outer Wilds) have become modern cult classics.
Conventional is the last thing Return of the Obra Dinn can be called. What I find absolutely fascinating about this game is how it uses all the unique elements in its toolset to tell a grossly engaging story with a book-like quality, and has done so with minimal dialogue and practically zero text. I want to dissect what makes this game ‘special’ so to speak. How the solo developer, Lucas Pope, has done the impossible and made a more than worthy game in the wake of Papers Please.
Against all odds, the game manages to make what is honestly a fairly mediocre story by contemporary standards, one of the most engaging, satisfying and enjoyable narrative experiences of all time which is far stronger than the sum of its parts.
…
So now that it’s just the cool kids, let’s do it.
A weakness with this mode of mystery structure in a standard story is that the audience doesn’t always share the ‘ah ha!’ moment of the protagonist. Sometimes this is by design to subvert expectations, but in the cases where it’s not, it can lead to a disappointing mystery. In the medium of video games, this can become a particular issue where a disconnect is much more dangerous. I mentioned L.A. Noire before. This bridges the gap somewhat as the win state of the game hinges on correctly solving cases. So, you’re incentivised to go beyond just passively consuming the mystery, but to actual solve the mystery. Ultimately though, these stories can just be played without any conviction if the player is getting bored or confused, and the detective roleplay element is lost.
Return of the Obra Dinn is almost a direct solution to this problem, and works as a much better detective game, at least, than something like L.A. Noire or a Sherlock Holmes game. (For reference I love L.A. Noire, I would never say it’s a bad game, pls forgive me for my transgressions Team Bondi, I miss you). Return of the Obra Dinn has almost the same structure in its overall narrative as the 5 points I mentioned above. But in this case, the main narrative is focused on the mystery of the ship, the Obra Dinn. The linearly paced present-day story has little of the game’s focus. It is thus fundamentally non-linear, and this is what gives it the detective mystery feel. This non-linearity is felt throughout every fibre of the game though, as its not just a reverse recount of a mystery story, but instead, the game mechanics for exploration itself has you travelling through time non-chronologically. So you’re there piecing together the mystery, travelling from the conclusion to the beginning through time itself, like a true detective, but in a meta way.
This is combined with the physical progression the player (i.e., the insurance auditor) makes through the game. You have to go deeper into the ship, downwards, to progress through the mystery. So, you travel from recent events to events further in the past as you simultaneously travel deeper into the ship, the whole while travelling deeper into the mystery itself. It is an excellent way to sell the feeling of solving a mystery with pacing alone.
And about that pacing. The bulk of the story could be told upfront in a linear way, with all the details present in a full playthrough, in probably about 10 minutes. But you solve the mystery of everyone’s death one by one and are drip-fed exposition for the story of the Obra Dinn over about 10 hours instead. You feel like you know all 60 people who served on the ship personally by the time you’re done, and you walk away with an investment in the narrative few other games in the mystery genre could even fathom achieving.
Ultimately the reverse-order solution gives sense of constant discovery. Exposition is rarely direct, and instead is embedded in the discovery process itself.
Mechanically, the game is dead simple. You walk around and watch scenes of the deaths of people on the Obra Dinn. You then have to deduce, by clicking some boxes, what each person’s name was, what their fate was (usually death), and who was responsible for their fate. Sounds simple, but the game makes a lot of this very obscure for most of the fates. You therefore figure out the fates only through your own deduction. You are the one who must investigate the scene. You are the one who interprets the evidence. You are the one who must recontextualise new evidence to understand the mystery. No one is there to do this for you. Most importantly, to ‘progress’ you must fill in the fates yourself. All of these processes occur in the mind, it’s a logic puzzle at its core, but one which mimics the process of roleplaying a detective. The exposition is the gameplay here, where understanding the mystery of the Obra Dinn is what progresses the narrative, and thus the game. The “guess 3 to reveal whether you’re correct” system (mostly) prevents cheese as well, leaving everything up to deduction.
This is all unlike L.A. Noire, which is less logic, and more about trying to quantify how scrunched up someone’s face is. L.A. Noire is also more mechanically demanding with combat and gunplay as well, decoupling progression even further from pure deduction. In Return of the Obra Dinn, one’s brain is constantly firing to process the logic – with very little stimulus. So much of the game takes place in the mind, not on the screen.
A lot of people say this game makes them feel like a genius. The deep connection between game progression and narrative is exactly why. You discover the story through your own logic, and in order to finish the game, you necessarily need to have successfully completed the logic puzzles of the game (the fates). So, you feel like a genius for simply pursuing the core gameplay loop. Additionally, player agency over the experience of the story (specifically over the non-linearity of time) creates a sense of immersion and fuels the desire to uncover the mystery and thus the narrative.
So, the structure of the game makes puts the events of the game in such a way that you fill in the detective roleplay. This so powerfully synergises with the gameplay systems themselves that you have this narrative experience so encapsulating, very few games come even close to competing. There is one last thing which sells the experience.
I mentioned before that the game has a book-like quality. What I mean by this is that the mind does so much ‘fill in the blanks’ throughout the game. This is in large part due to the 1-bit art style. It cements a wonderfully unique identity to the game which makes it instantly recognisable, but more importantly it allows the game to play out as if every frame were an intentionally designed piece of 1-bit artwork. The simplicity of the low resolution and the binary colour presentation means your mind fills in a lot of the gaps. It kinda feels halfway between reading a setting in a book, and seeing a setting realised on film or in a photorealistic render. Because your mind is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, your enveloped in the world. This extends so brilliantly to the sound design, especially when you’re below deck. The creaking of the ship as it bobs in the water. The sound of waves crashing out in the infinitely encompassing ocean. The the moments of silence which briefly fill in the in-betweens as you process the mystery around you. It ground the player in such a strong sense of presence.
Before each ‘scene’ in the game where you experience someone’s death, the screen is blank except for captions of the words spoken by the people in the scene. Your mind ignites with imagination as the soundscape tells its own story alongside. Then, the scene arrives, and it’s static. No animations. A picture might tell a thousand words, but they tell 1000 different permutations of 1000 words, and no two interpretations of events in Return of the Obra Dinn’s death scenes will every be perfectly identical. It a balanced dichotomy of explicit visual and auditory presentation with enough missing information to execute the book-like quality of its presentation.
At the same time, everything in and on the ship is believable, and this is in no small part to the immense research Lucas Pope did to have accurate attention to detail. The ship design, the crew structure, the geography of the ship’s voyage. When you go to check after the fact, it is all impressively accurate (with the exception of the number of people on the ship, Pope has mentioned he had to cut the realistic number down to 60 so he could actually finish making the game). It might not quite fit here, but I absolutely have to shout out the soundtrack as well. It sounds like someone was told “this organ is on fire, you have 3 minutes to play its final piece, go”. It gives a sense of grandeur to the wider narrative and world. I’m astounded that a generalist like Lucas Pope has such refined skills across his disciplines that everything from the gameplay to the art design, to even the soundtrack, which he did so himself, are all of such high quality. It clearly helps in executing such a precise creative vision like that in Return of the Obra Dinn.
Despite the simple narrative in the game, every single aspect of game design comes together to pull of the ‘more than the sum of its parts’ effect. In particular, the game is trying to sell a detective roleplaying experience. It is not the plot or story itself, but the non-linear narrative structure in harmony with the mental meta progression, and sharp immersive qualities of the game which hook you in. You always want to figure out the next three fates. You always want to understand the mystery with an insatiable curiosity. You want to pin everything on the captain.
Executing a game like this clearly isn’t an easy task. While simple on the surface, a lot of creative design has to come together from different disciplines of video game development. It might not be an overly popular subgenre (exploration-focused logic games), but I think there’s a reason so few exist beyond the explanation of demand. It’s hard to weave together an intricate world which is paced in such a way that the player is engaged from beginning to end. It doesn’t take much to shatter a link in such a long chain.
I don’t really know of many other games which exist in this category. I mentioned The Outer Wilds, which has a similar mental- and logic-gated progression grounded in in-game discovery. I know The Case of the Golden Idol operates similarly to Return of the Obra Dinn, but I haven’t played this myself so I can give any input here. What I can say is that for me, Return of the Obra Dinn stands tall and proud in a small list of exceptional games of detective progression systems by virtue of a breadth of expert design.
submitted by Thertch to truegaming [link] [comments]
One – its structure, and two – how progression is gated.
On the second point, it is a rare type of game whose very progression is untethered from any higher-level mechanical input, but instead occurs entirely within your own mind. This is a concept which is so rarely pulled off well, that the notable success stories in this domain (namely Return of the Obra Dinn itself, and the Outer Wilds) have become modern cult classics.
Conventional is the last thing Return of the Obra Dinn can be called. What I find absolutely fascinating about this game is how it uses all the unique elements in its toolset to tell a grossly engaging story with a book-like quality, and has done so with minimal dialogue and practically zero text. I want to dissect what makes this game ‘special’ so to speak. How the solo developer, Lucas Pope, has done the impossible and made a more than worthy game in the wake of Papers Please.
Against all odds, the game manages to make what is honestly a fairly mediocre story by contemporary standards, one of the most engaging, satisfying and enjoyable narrative experiences of all time which is far stronger than the sum of its parts.
A quick preface so I don’t ruin anyone’s life:
This is one of those games you can only play once. I’m spoiling the hell out of the game here. For anyone who hasn’t played the game, and you think there’s even a 0.1% chance you’ll play this one day, go away. I don’t want you here. In fact, look at yourself in the mirror until you can change that to 100%. I’d love to write something that would convince people who haven’t played to actually play, but by the one-and-done nature of the game, that would not be easy. Instead, you have to take it on blind faith and just play it. No game is for everyone of course, but I think at least tyring this game is for everyone.…
So now that it’s just the cool kids, let’s do it.
Come on, mediocre is a bit harsh right?:
Maybe it is. However, I don’t think the strength of the game is the narrative itself. The writing is tight, the most common characters on the ship, the Obra Dinn, are generally believable and fleshed out, but I don’t think there much being said in the narrative proper. Essentially, a ship is delivering for the East India company. It turns out that a group of Formosans (a republic within current day Taiwan which existed very briefly during when the game is set, an insanely niche yet accurate addition I have to add) were transporting a supernatural seashell. Someone else tries to steal this, which incites various sea monster attacks of the Obra Dinn. Most of everyone gradually dies. The sea monsters eventually stop attacking, and the remaining survivors turn on each other for various reasons. Then finally, the captain of the ship kills his fellow shipmen in self-defence, and finally himself in the wake of the loss and destruction. There’s not really much in the way of character development, not really much meat to make a layered story. But hey, that’s actually totally ok, because that’s not the point of the game. This is a simple enough story, and the structure of the game around this story elevates it to heights that shouldn’t be possible, but Lucas Pope pulls it off.Structuring a detective story – not so elementary my dear Wattson:
The story told in this game is structured as a non-linear story. The non-linear concept is key to Return of the Obra Dinn. We’ll get back to why, but at the surface, its not overly interesting. This is pretty much the standard format for how the minor narratives of detective stories (that is, the story of the mysteries themselves) are structured. Think about your classic Sherlock Holmes mystery, or even a standard L.A. Noire crime (if you let me be a bit reductive for a moment):- Introduction to the conclusion of the event (someone was robbed and murdered in an alley!).
- Looking for clues to figure out what happened (the person was shot).
- Investigation of characters peripheral to the event (interviewing the suspects, one of the suspects has the victim’s watch).
- In a minor twist mid-narrative recontextualises the story thus far (the watch guy was framed, and it was his twin brother the whole time).
- The wise, pretentious detective recounts the story in chronological order, and everything clicks into place finally.
A weakness with this mode of mystery structure in a standard story is that the audience doesn’t always share the ‘ah ha!’ moment of the protagonist. Sometimes this is by design to subvert expectations, but in the cases where it’s not, it can lead to a disappointing mystery. In the medium of video games, this can become a particular issue where a disconnect is much more dangerous. I mentioned L.A. Noire before. This bridges the gap somewhat as the win state of the game hinges on correctly solving cases. So, you’re incentivised to go beyond just passively consuming the mystery, but to actual solve the mystery. Ultimately though, these stories can just be played without any conviction if the player is getting bored or confused, and the detective roleplay element is lost.
Return of the Obra Dinn is almost a direct solution to this problem, and works as a much better detective game, at least, than something like L.A. Noire or a Sherlock Holmes game. (For reference I love L.A. Noire, I would never say it’s a bad game, pls forgive me for my transgressions Team Bondi, I miss you). Return of the Obra Dinn has almost the same structure in its overall narrative as the 5 points I mentioned above. But in this case, the main narrative is focused on the mystery of the ship, the Obra Dinn. The linearly paced present-day story has little of the game’s focus. It is thus fundamentally non-linear, and this is what gives it the detective mystery feel. This non-linearity is felt throughout every fibre of the game though, as its not just a reverse recount of a mystery story, but instead, the game mechanics for exploration itself has you travelling through time non-chronologically. So you’re there piecing together the mystery, travelling from the conclusion to the beginning through time itself, like a true detective, but in a meta way.
This is combined with the physical progression the player (i.e., the insurance auditor) makes through the game. You have to go deeper into the ship, downwards, to progress through the mystery. So, you travel from recent events to events further in the past as you simultaneously travel deeper into the ship, the whole while travelling deeper into the mystery itself. It is an excellent way to sell the feeling of solving a mystery with pacing alone.
And about that pacing. The bulk of the story could be told upfront in a linear way, with all the details present in a full playthrough, in probably about 10 minutes. But you solve the mystery of everyone’s death one by one and are drip-fed exposition for the story of the Obra Dinn over about 10 hours instead. You feel like you know all 60 people who served on the ship personally by the time you’re done, and you walk away with an investment in the narrative few other games in the mystery genre could even fathom achieving.
Ultimately the reverse-order solution gives sense of constant discovery. Exposition is rarely direct, and instead is embedded in the discovery process itself.
Gate my progression Daddy:
So, the pacing and structure of the game is fantastic, and tuned just right to sell the detective mystery narrative and feel. That is only half of the story though as the progression system of the game is so unique in the wider landscape of video games.Mechanically, the game is dead simple. You walk around and watch scenes of the deaths of people on the Obra Dinn. You then have to deduce, by clicking some boxes, what each person’s name was, what their fate was (usually death), and who was responsible for their fate. Sounds simple, but the game makes a lot of this very obscure for most of the fates. You therefore figure out the fates only through your own deduction. You are the one who must investigate the scene. You are the one who interprets the evidence. You are the one who must recontextualise new evidence to understand the mystery. No one is there to do this for you. Most importantly, to ‘progress’ you must fill in the fates yourself. All of these processes occur in the mind, it’s a logic puzzle at its core, but one which mimics the process of roleplaying a detective. The exposition is the gameplay here, where understanding the mystery of the Obra Dinn is what progresses the narrative, and thus the game. The “guess 3 to reveal whether you’re correct” system (mostly) prevents cheese as well, leaving everything up to deduction.
This is all unlike L.A. Noire, which is less logic, and more about trying to quantify how scrunched up someone’s face is. L.A. Noire is also more mechanically demanding with combat and gunplay as well, decoupling progression even further from pure deduction. In Return of the Obra Dinn, one’s brain is constantly firing to process the logic – with very little stimulus. So much of the game takes place in the mind, not on the screen.
A lot of people say this game makes them feel like a genius. The deep connection between game progression and narrative is exactly why. You discover the story through your own logic, and in order to finish the game, you necessarily need to have successfully completed the logic puzzles of the game (the fates). So, you feel like a genius for simply pursuing the core gameplay loop. Additionally, player agency over the experience of the story (specifically over the non-linearity of time) creates a sense of immersion and fuels the desire to uncover the mystery and thus the narrative.
So, the structure of the game makes puts the events of the game in such a way that you fill in the detective roleplay. This so powerfully synergises with the gameplay systems themselves that you have this narrative experience so encapsulating, very few games come even close to competing. There is one last thing which sells the experience.
Muh’ immersions:
The game could have perfect pacing, a perfect narrative structure, a satisfying logic progression system, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to keep playing the game. You have to be invested in the moment-to-moment presence, since a lot of what you’re doing is walking around and looking. That’s why the meticulous attention to immersion, and to the details within the worldbuilding are a crucial part of the game. Return of the Obra Dinn is a wonderfully immersive game, whose immersive qualities blend together with the non-linear structure to not just pull, but rip you into the games narrative and world.I mentioned before that the game has a book-like quality. What I mean by this is that the mind does so much ‘fill in the blanks’ throughout the game. This is in large part due to the 1-bit art style. It cements a wonderfully unique identity to the game which makes it instantly recognisable, but more importantly it allows the game to play out as if every frame were an intentionally designed piece of 1-bit artwork. The simplicity of the low resolution and the binary colour presentation means your mind fills in a lot of the gaps. It kinda feels halfway between reading a setting in a book, and seeing a setting realised on film or in a photorealistic render. Because your mind is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, your enveloped in the world. This extends so brilliantly to the sound design, especially when you’re below deck. The creaking of the ship as it bobs in the water. The sound of waves crashing out in the infinitely encompassing ocean. The the moments of silence which briefly fill in the in-betweens as you process the mystery around you. It ground the player in such a strong sense of presence.
Before each ‘scene’ in the game where you experience someone’s death, the screen is blank except for captions of the words spoken by the people in the scene. Your mind ignites with imagination as the soundscape tells its own story alongside. Then, the scene arrives, and it’s static. No animations. A picture might tell a thousand words, but they tell 1000 different permutations of 1000 words, and no two interpretations of events in Return of the Obra Dinn’s death scenes will every be perfectly identical. It a balanced dichotomy of explicit visual and auditory presentation with enough missing information to execute the book-like quality of its presentation.
At the same time, everything in and on the ship is believable, and this is in no small part to the immense research Lucas Pope did to have accurate attention to detail. The ship design, the crew structure, the geography of the ship’s voyage. When you go to check after the fact, it is all impressively accurate (with the exception of the number of people on the ship, Pope has mentioned he had to cut the realistic number down to 60 so he could actually finish making the game). It might not quite fit here, but I absolutely have to shout out the soundtrack as well. It sounds like someone was told “this organ is on fire, you have 3 minutes to play its final piece, go”. It gives a sense of grandeur to the wider narrative and world. I’m astounded that a generalist like Lucas Pope has such refined skills across his disciplines that everything from the gameplay to the art design, to even the soundtrack, which he did so himself, are all of such high quality. It clearly helps in executing such a precise creative vision like that in Return of the Obra Dinn.
Conclusion (lucky I didn’t make my critique non-linear):
What a follow up to Papers Please. I think Papers Please was a more popular game in general, and in interviews, Lucas Pope has said he actually prefers Papers Please himself. However, Return of the Obra Dinn shows this is not a one-hit-wonder situation. I think both games work well for different reasons. Having single name authorship on games is very rare, and Pope has earned his title here as a video game auteur in my opinion.Despite the simple narrative in the game, every single aspect of game design comes together to pull of the ‘more than the sum of its parts’ effect. In particular, the game is trying to sell a detective roleplaying experience. It is not the plot or story itself, but the non-linear narrative structure in harmony with the mental meta progression, and sharp immersive qualities of the game which hook you in. You always want to figure out the next three fates. You always want to understand the mystery with an insatiable curiosity. You want to pin everything on the captain.
Executing a game like this clearly isn’t an easy task. While simple on the surface, a lot of creative design has to come together from different disciplines of video game development. It might not be an overly popular subgenre (exploration-focused logic games), but I think there’s a reason so few exist beyond the explanation of demand. It’s hard to weave together an intricate world which is paced in such a way that the player is engaged from beginning to end. It doesn’t take much to shatter a link in such a long chain.
I don’t really know of many other games which exist in this category. I mentioned The Outer Wilds, which has a similar mental- and logic-gated progression grounded in in-game discovery. I know The Case of the Golden Idol operates similarly to Return of the Obra Dinn, but I haven’t played this myself so I can give any input here. What I can say is that for me, Return of the Obra Dinn stands tall and proud in a small list of exceptional games of detective progression systems by virtue of a breadth of expert design.
2023.06.08 17:47 hodsct59 Belmont Friday June 9 Choices
These are the horses and races that I will use while seeking my next decent score at Belmont Park on Friday. if the races are not cancelled. As I have mentioned many times, horse racing is a hard game to master but usually because no strategy is developed regarding what tends to repeat itself often, just with different horses from time-to-time and a money management system that helps one save money until they find a race, they are able to take advantage of. My strategy concerning betting has always been "bet a little to win a lot" but refers to taking risks most will not even think of trying. Good Luck to all.
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Race 2: Allowance --- Purse $95,000 --- 3 YOs & Up N/W 1x Or N/W 2 Lifetime --- 6 Furlong Turf:
1)Bold Journey (6-5) won 3rd start back against state bred & O/C foes, so eligibility to race here is still intact. Next out he was overmatched against G1 foes and last start, in this class and condition, he finished 2nd as he and the winner produced their best run together as they were last two away from gate. Now moves from outside post to an inside one and has two decent and useful works since that start.4x4 to Alydar, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Raise A Native. He will as a coupled interest to 2) Sousa Summer and will be listed in program as 1 and 1A.
8)Fredo (8-1) broke his maiden 4 starts back while gate to wire at one mile on grass. Connections have been using the right running style but a mile on any surface is probably a little further than his best distance. 7 of his 12 lifetime starts have come at a mile or further on grass or the AWT and he has the race record to prove he struggles going that far. His sprint races have all been lightning fast early and he has been able to get a clear early lead but finds a spot that looks a little lite on early speed. Broodmare sire, Gone West, sired 2 unbeaten champion fillies in France that never raced past 7 furlongs and 2 U.S. champion colts (Came Home & Speightstown) in his career that had front running speed to burn. 5x3 to Storm Bird & Mr. Prospector.
6)Giant's Fire (15-1) broke her maiden 3 starts back while laying close but off the early pace and managed to get up late. Next two starts, jockeys tried to send him early and could not even get close to the early pace and faded to finish last in both. He cuts back to a sprint in here and jockey need to let him settle early and then pick it up as they go around the turn, which is exactly what his dam line and broodmare sire is suggesting he will be better doing. Broodmare sire, Street Cry, sired two of the world's top fillies in Zenyatta & Winx and both were master late runners. 4th dam, Aptostar, is a multiple graded stakes winning filly that blew by several top fields. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Fappiano. Simply waiting to be ridden correctly and will blow up the exacta when jockey lets him run his race.
9)Carpe's Dream (15-1) is making his first start of the year. Trainer has put 8 works in him in the last two months, the first six were more or less canters around the track but last two works indicates those works was beneficial to him. Likely not ready to beat a few of these but looks like he will have a pace to run at late. 4x4 to Storm Bird.
My Risks $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-8-9, $.30 Super Box 1-6-8-9, $.50 Super Key 8 with 1-6-9 with 1-6-9 with 1-6-9. Total Risk $26.20.
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Race 3: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $75,000 --- 3 YOs & Up New York Bred --- One Mile:
3) Woodside Warrior (30-1) has started twice and has yet to pick up his feet. However, this is a weak field on NY bred maidens, and he is likely wanting to get to the early lead and has the bloodlines to do so. Trainer is adding blinkers and he has three good works since his last start, most likely all three while wearing the hood (but does not have to be reported as equipment change until race day). He should be fast enough to get the early lead due to his grandsire, Speightstown, and his broodmare sire, Freud, an unraced full brother to Giant's Causeway, progeny also got much braver when they were able to obtain the early lead. 4(C)x5(C)x3(F) to Storm Cat, 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5x4 to Seattle Slew, 5x5 to Secretariat.
7) Battleoflexington (6-1) has started twice this year, the first start where he was trailing at the first call and then grind his way to a 4th place finish beaten less than 4 lengths for the win but had received his training in Florida, then shipped to Aqueduct and then asked to run within a 6-day period, a tough task for a seasoned runner much less a maiden. In his second start, he returned in 16 days after his first start with another work, the addition of lasix, and put back on grass, where he did not pick up his feet. Now gets a month to recuperate and adds three more works, two of them useful and is not getting the kitchen sink thrown at him for the first time this year. Will likely respond to the lesser confusion that he has been presented with. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Halo.
2) Refuah (3-1) broke his maiden two back but was disqualified and placed second for interference. He now has 11 placings in 14 lifetime starts and just does not seem like he was a will to win. He will likely eventually win but it is a waste of time and money trying to predict when. Therefore, I will use him underneath only. 5(C)x4(F)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Northern Dancer & Halo.
My Risks: $8 Ex Straight 3-7, $3 Tri Straight 3-7 with 3-7 with 2. Total Risk $14.00.
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Race 5: Starter Allowance $50K --- Purse $65,000 --- 3 YOs & Up Which has started for $50K or less and N/W 1x --- One Mile:
5) Ice Road (6-1) has started once this year on the speed favoring dirt track, ran a even race and then change trainers after that start. New trainer gave him two more months off, then put 5 more works in him over a month period in Florida and shipped him to NY where he has not recorded a work in three weeks. Each trainer has his own method of how to get a horse ready and since he wins at 18%, I believe he might have this one better prepared than it appears. He has only two lifetime starts on dirt, a third in the mud in the 2nd leg of Canadian TC and his last start which is decent considering the track he ran on and the brief layoff. Outcross in his first 5 generations.
1)Arrebato (8-1) broke his maiden three starts back in the second start of his career by tracking the early pace, then sent for the lead nearing six furlongs and drawing away in the stretch. Tried the same tactics in his next start on a sloppy track but one that was using same tactics as him got a big jump on him when the front runner stopped and won for fun while this one could not make up any ground and lost second at the wire to the deep closer in the race. Next out, he was tried against 3 YOs stakes company but they proved to be much too tough for him at this point of his career as he finished last. Back to the company where he fits best so far with 4 stamina building works since his last start and a change to a better jockey should help. His sire, Goldencents, won 2 editions of the G1 BC Dirt Mile. Broodmare sire, Badge Of Silver, won his first three lifetime start but was knocked off the derby trail in 2003 when he came out of the La Derby with a leg injury in his first loss but returned to finish 2nd In the Cigar Mile twice & 3rd in the BC Turf Mile. 5x5 to Mr. Prospector.
3) Long Term (5-2) has started three times this year, breaking his maiden in his second start by taking the lead nearing the half mile, then open a clear led into the stretch, then managed to hold 2 late runners safe in the stretch. Next out, he attempted the same strategy, but another beat him to the punch, and he flattened out in the stretch run to finish a well beaten third. Three useful works since his last start and he should be sitting on his best race in his fourth start of the year after a 10-month break. 5x5 to Northern Dancer & Sir Ivor.
7) Thunderian (6-1) was purchased out of a sale in Feb. for $28K by current connections, was gelded and has five starts for him with one win and three thirds. His last start was his only non-placing this year, he drops a level and returns in 9 days. Likely trying to entice someone to claim the horse before he tails off his best form. 4x5 to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-5, $1 Tri Box 1-3-5, $.30 Super Box 1-3-5-7, $.50 Super Key 1 with 3-5-7 with 3-5-7 with 3-5-7. Total Risk: $26.20.
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Race 6: Allowance O/C $62.5K ---- Purse $100,000 --- 3 YOs & Up N/w $18K 2x or N/W 3 Lifetime or Claiming $62,500 --- 6 Furlongs:
11) High Connection (8-1) is making his first start of the year and his first start for new trainer Pletcher after being removed from Baffert's barn for the 2nd time late last year, likely because owners were expecting much more from a horse with his bloodlines and purchase price. Trainer has put a dozen works in him since he re-entered the work tab with one missed work while preparing others for derby week races and works (likely was missed on chart for due work date). However, trainer moved his next three works to 6-day intervals that should got him back on track. 4x3 to Deputy Minister.
4) High Oak (20-1) looked like he was going to develop into a nice runner but took a hard fall in last year's FOY stakes and is obviously having a hard time (or flashbacks) getting over his tragic fall. But he is showing signs of putting that behind him but needs some help from a jockey to let him run his race and not force him to get too close to the lead early, which was his style before the fall. Believes he gets that help with John V. He has three useful works since his last start and moves back to the surface where both sides of his family have the most success. 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat. 4th dam, Leix, is 1/2 sister to Shenanigans and developed her own important line.
1)Cadazero(8-1) was purchased out of an April sale for $60K and makes his first start for new connections. Trainer is known for putting slow works into his trainees preferring to let them go much further than recorded work and follows his usual pattern with this one. However, he has 2 graded stakes wins and has to use the tag because of them but is the class of this field. 4x5 to Mr Prospector & Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Raise A Native.
2)Rotknee (3-1) has started three times this year including winning his last race in a good time, 6 days after registering a bullet work that suggested he was reaching his peak fitness. He has one work since that effort, an easy four furlongs that should set him up for another top effort and personally much prefer to see this type of work than another fast/bullet work which rarely help a horse to maintain his form and can do more harm than good. Only problem with him is he is facing a pretty salty field here and does not show facing a field this tough. 5(C)x4(F)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 4-11, $1 Tri Box 1-4-11, $.30 Super Box 1-2-4-11, $1 Super 11 with 1-2-4 with 1-2-4 with 1-2-4. Total Risk $29.20.
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Race 7: Allowance --- Purse $80,000 --- 3 YOs & Up NY Bred N/W $18K 1x or N/W 2 Races Lifetime --- 7 Furlongs Turf:
8) Athenry (12-1) has one start this year which he sat mid-pack early but was out moved by eventual winner into the stretch and chased that one through the stretch while just holding onto second at the wire. He has two works since that effort, a useful work followed by a 3 furlongs blowout work 4 days before next start, likely to try to get him closer to the early pace. 4x5 to Raise A Native, 5x4 to Mr. Prospector. Also has a Secretariat crossing thru two daughters and plenty of Princequillo crossings thru his daughter, Somethingroyal, dam of Secretariat & his son Prince John (3 crosses in dam line alone).
4) Be Of Courage (8-1) has started twice this year which in first start, he did not pick up his feet to finish last and then in next start when stretched out to a mile, set the early pace until collared at the top of the stretch but continued to show good heart by battling back before being outrun to finish 3rd. Castellano, abroad for his only win to date, retakes the mount as he cuts back to 7 furlongs. One bullet 4 furlongs work since that last effort. 4x5 to Danzig, 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Mr. Prospector & Blushing Groom.
1)War Terminator (20-1) has one start this year, back in January, which he did not pick up his feet in an open bred O/C race he was probably overmatched in to begin with. Change of trainers since that effort and a move back up North to face NY bred should help. He finished 3rd in his last effort before leaving the area late last year in same class and conditions as this race and a repeat of that effort puts him in the thick of the outcome of this race. Has 5 works for this effort, the first two were leg stretching type works, followed by two good works and an easy work on grass and around the dogs should have him primed and ready. 4(C(x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x4 to Fappiano.
7) Dr. Settle's Dream (12-1) will be making his first start of the year. he has eight works to prepare from this start, but last two are typical of works trainer usually gives trainees when he thinks they are ready and rarely tips his hand to indicate how fit they are. But he goes back to Alvarado, who has been his main jockey he uses for the last 5-6 years when he believes they are their fittest. He broke his maiden at first asking, then took on open bred stakes runner and finished last after setting the pace for a half mile at one mile on grass. Will likely appreciate the move back to stater bred and gets lasix for the first time. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 4-8, $1 Tri Box 1-4-8, $.30 Super Box 1-4-7-8, $1 Super Key 4 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8. Total Risk $29.20.
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Race 8: New York Stakes(G1) --- Purse $600,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 1 1/4 Mile Turf:
5) Virginia Joy (15-1) has started twice this year, the first effort where she sat far off the pace but put in a good late kick to finish 4th. Next start, she was 3rd for most of the way in a four-horse field but managed to get up for second in an extremely slow-paced race. However, her best races have come when she gets up close to the early pace and makes her best move before others have a chance to and she gets a jockey who will give her that opportunity in here. 3x3 to Sadler's Wells, 4x4 to Kris, 5x5 to Nijinsky II & Mill Reef.
8) With The Moonlight (9-2) has started four times this year, winning her first two starts in grade 2 stakes in the U.A.E, then shipping to the U.S. and finishing 2nd in a G1 stakes and then onto England to run one of the dullest races of her career in a G2. Now back to the U.S. but with a work on grass around the dogs since arriving. Trainer is no stranger to big races and have to believe this one will fire her best effort. 5x5 to Mr. Prospector.
7) War Like Goddess (6-5) has started once this year and beat a G3 field fairly easy but these will be much tougher and cuts back to a distance she has never won at, except her maiden win against non-winners. Still, she is the one to beat but regardless, I will take that chance on beating her at her likely off odds because there are simply too many things that can go wrong, regardless of how good one is. Bet her and you will not make any money that is worth the risk. Bet against her and you will likely lose but there is a possibility to make good money by taking a small risk. 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
1)Flirting Bridge (20-1) has started once this year and won her second condition allowance race. She is bred to at least want a 1/4-mile distance, but this will be only her second start at the distance and in her first start narrowly missed becoming a G1 stakes winner. She has five more works since her first start and they should all be helpful in moving her forward. 4x3 to Danehill, 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risk: $5 Ex Box 5-8, $1 Tri Box 5-7-8, $.30 Super Box 1-5-7-8, $.50 Super Key 5 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8. Total Risks $26.20.
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Race 9: Acorn Stakes(G1) --- Purse $500,000 --- 3 YO Fillies ---- 1 1/16 Mile:
1)Dorth Vader (10-1) has started 4 times with 1 win in her 2nd start of the year as her only board finish. In her last, she was sent to pressure the early pace and it set the race up for several late runners to make a major impact. But in her third start back which was her only win, she proved her would rather rate behind the early speed and then make her move after they tire each other considerably. Believe she again gets that opportunity as there are at least two in here that looks like they want the early lead at all costs. She has changed trainers since the Ky. Oaks and he decided to give Velasquez a try to relax her as most jockey tried thus far has burnt her out. 5x5 to Storm Bird, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
8)Accede (8-1) has started twice in her career, breaking her maiden at first asking then in her last start, raced near the rear early and tried to grind her way into contention but it proved futile was front running speed was holding well that day. Trainer has put three more good works in her since that last race and she looks as ready as any in here. Complete outcross in her first 5 generations but is loaded with Teddy & Commando bloodlines.
7)Goodgirl Badhabits (10-1) has started twice and ran away from the competition in both starts but now gets an acid test to see if she is for real. Personally, I think she will pass that test but lose this battle though not likely to fade too bad if she gets over her bad gate habits. She has three good works since her last start which is not really surprising since she has plenty of early speed. The question with her is how well she will handle the pressure she will receive in here. Both her sire, Mastery and broodmare sire, Vindication, were unbeaten in 4 lifetime starts each but both were injured and retired during their 2 YO careers (I let you figure out who trained both). However, this one's 4th dam, Imagining, is also dam of multiple year champion filly, Serena's Song, who also was an excellent producer of solid foals. 5x3 to Seattle Slew, 5x4 to Storm Bird & Weekend Surprise.
4) Occult (12-1) has started twice this year, winning a listed stake race in her first start at 9 furlongs while staying on the favorable part of track that was listed as good and then faltering in her next start on a fast track, also at 9 furlongs. A filly she faced in both these races came back and ran a fast closing second in the Ky Oaks, so you will need to take her speed figures and toss them. She is much faster than those figures suggest but now gets a chance to prove it. Actually, believe she would prefer sitting off the early pace and then making her move turning into the stretch. She has 7 works since her last start with most of them good moves which likely means she is still on the improve. 4x4 to Storm Cat, 5x5 to Halo.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-7-8, $.30 Super Box 1-4-7-8, $1 Super Key 1 with 4-7-8 with 4-7-8 with 4-7-8. Total Risk $29.20.
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Race 10: Belmont Gold Cup S(G2) --- Purse $250,000 --- 4 YOs & Up --- 2 Miles Turf:
Pass.
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Race 11: Intercontinental Stakes(G3) --- Purse $200,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 6 Furlongs Turf:
3) Clitheroe (15-1) has started once this year and won a first level condition allowance. She takes a big step up in class, but connections likely thought highly of her to drop north of $800K as a 2 YO purchase. She has two works since her U.S. debut win, a good work at 6 furlongs and a good work at 4 furlongs. She gets to race at the same track for 2 races in a row after switching tracks every start through her first 9 tries. 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Nureyev, 5(C)x4(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
2) Sarah Harper (6-1) has started 3 times this year and has finished 3rd in two of those starts. However, her current form cycle started back in August of last year and she now has seven starts without a win but a second and 4 thirds. Her last start was her 2nd lifetime start on grass and she ran into a filly named Caravel both times. Caravel upset the boys in the BC Turf Sprint last year at 40-1 in gate to wire fashion. In Sarah Harper's first six starts of her career, she set quarter fractions of 21 4/5 seconds or faster, but those have been missing since she has returned. Why? It seems to me her trainer has been trying to get her to rate and it is not working as plan. Now it's time to go back to the catch me if you can type game. One good work since her last start. Can wire this field with a good break. 4x5 to Danzig.
7) Bubble Rock (5-2) has started twice this year which she finished 2nd in her first start in a first condition allowance, then return in a listed stakes race that is often the springboard race for sprint grass fillies to bigger and better races and won. Has 2 good works on grass around the dogs since that effort and a repeat performance would not be a surprise. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
1)Poppy Flower (9-2) has started twice this year with her first start being against O/C foes where she finished 3rd in a five-horse field that was nothing more than an out to help her get fitter, then a listed stakes where she finished second to the likely favorite in here. She has three works since her last start, the first work was a maintenance breeze followed by 2 good works that likely has her ready to give a top effort again. 5(C)x5(C)x 5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-3, $1 Tri Box 2-3-7, $.30 Super Box 1-2-3-7, $1 Super Key 2 with 1-3-7 with 1-3-7 with 1-3-7. Total Risk $29.20.
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7th Race Late P5: 1,4 with 5,8 with 1,8 with 2,11 with 1,2. Total Risk $16.00. Total Risk All Bets: $225.40.
submitted by hodsct59 to horseracing [link] [comments]
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Race 2: Allowance --- Purse $95,000 --- 3 YOs & Up N/W 1x Or N/W 2 Lifetime --- 6 Furlong Turf:
1)Bold Journey (6-5) won 3rd start back against state bred & O/C foes, so eligibility to race here is still intact. Next out he was overmatched against G1 foes and last start, in this class and condition, he finished 2nd as he and the winner produced their best run together as they were last two away from gate. Now moves from outside post to an inside one and has two decent and useful works since that start.4x4 to Alydar, 5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Raise A Native. He will as a coupled interest to 2) Sousa Summer and will be listed in program as 1 and 1A.
8)Fredo (8-1) broke his maiden 4 starts back while gate to wire at one mile on grass. Connections have been using the right running style but a mile on any surface is probably a little further than his best distance. 7 of his 12 lifetime starts have come at a mile or further on grass or the AWT and he has the race record to prove he struggles going that far. His sprint races have all been lightning fast early and he has been able to get a clear early lead but finds a spot that looks a little lite on early speed. Broodmare sire, Gone West, sired 2 unbeaten champion fillies in France that never raced past 7 furlongs and 2 U.S. champion colts (Came Home & Speightstown) in his career that had front running speed to burn. 5x3 to Storm Bird & Mr. Prospector.
6)Giant's Fire (15-1) broke her maiden 3 starts back while laying close but off the early pace and managed to get up late. Next two starts, jockeys tried to send him early and could not even get close to the early pace and faded to finish last in both. He cuts back to a sprint in here and jockey need to let him settle early and then pick it up as they go around the turn, which is exactly what his dam line and broodmare sire is suggesting he will be better doing. Broodmare sire, Street Cry, sired two of the world's top fillies in Zenyatta & Winx and both were master late runners. 4th dam, Aptostar, is a multiple graded stakes winning filly that blew by several top fields. 5(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Fappiano. Simply waiting to be ridden correctly and will blow up the exacta when jockey lets him run his race.
9)Carpe's Dream (15-1) is making his first start of the year. Trainer has put 8 works in him in the last two months, the first six were more or less canters around the track but last two works indicates those works was beneficial to him. Likely not ready to beat a few of these but looks like he will have a pace to run at late. 4x4 to Storm Bird.
My Risks $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-8-9, $.30 Super Box 1-6-8-9, $.50 Super Key 8 with 1-6-9 with 1-6-9 with 1-6-9. Total Risk $26.20.
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Race 3: Maiden Special Weight --- Purse $75,000 --- 3 YOs & Up New York Bred --- One Mile:
3) Woodside Warrior (30-1) has started twice and has yet to pick up his feet. However, this is a weak field on NY bred maidens, and he is likely wanting to get to the early lead and has the bloodlines to do so. Trainer is adding blinkers and he has three good works since his last start, most likely all three while wearing the hood (but does not have to be reported as equipment change until race day). He should be fast enough to get the early lead due to his grandsire, Speightstown, and his broodmare sire, Freud, an unraced full brother to Giant's Causeway, progeny also got much braver when they were able to obtain the early lead. 4(C)x5(C)x3(F) to Storm Cat, 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5x4 to Seattle Slew, 5x5 to Secretariat.
7) Battleoflexington (6-1) has started twice this year, the first start where he was trailing at the first call and then grind his way to a 4th place finish beaten less than 4 lengths for the win but had received his training in Florida, then shipped to Aqueduct and then asked to run within a 6-day period, a tough task for a seasoned runner much less a maiden. In his second start, he returned in 16 days after his first start with another work, the addition of lasix, and put back on grass, where he did not pick up his feet. Now gets a month to recuperate and adds three more works, two of them useful and is not getting the kitchen sink thrown at him for the first time this year. Will likely respond to the lesser confusion that he has been presented with. 5x4 to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Halo.
2) Refuah (3-1) broke his maiden two back but was disqualified and placed second for interference. He now has 11 placings in 14 lifetime starts and just does not seem like he was a will to win. He will likely eventually win but it is a waste of time and money trying to predict when. Therefore, I will use him underneath only. 5(C)x4(F)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Northern Dancer & Halo.
My Risks: $8 Ex Straight 3-7, $3 Tri Straight 3-7 with 3-7 with 2. Total Risk $14.00.
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Race 5: Starter Allowance $50K --- Purse $65,000 --- 3 YOs & Up Which has started for $50K or less and N/W 1x --- One Mile:
5) Ice Road (6-1) has started once this year on the speed favoring dirt track, ran a even race and then change trainers after that start. New trainer gave him two more months off, then put 5 more works in him over a month period in Florida and shipped him to NY where he has not recorded a work in three weeks. Each trainer has his own method of how to get a horse ready and since he wins at 18%, I believe he might have this one better prepared than it appears. He has only two lifetime starts on dirt, a third in the mud in the 2nd leg of Canadian TC and his last start which is decent considering the track he ran on and the brief layoff. Outcross in his first 5 generations.
1)Arrebato (8-1) broke his maiden three starts back in the second start of his career by tracking the early pace, then sent for the lead nearing six furlongs and drawing away in the stretch. Tried the same tactics in his next start on a sloppy track but one that was using same tactics as him got a big jump on him when the front runner stopped and won for fun while this one could not make up any ground and lost second at the wire to the deep closer in the race. Next out, he was tried against 3 YOs stakes company but they proved to be much too tough for him at this point of his career as he finished last. Back to the company where he fits best so far with 4 stamina building works since his last start and a change to a better jockey should help. His sire, Goldencents, won 2 editions of the G1 BC Dirt Mile. Broodmare sire, Badge Of Silver, won his first three lifetime start but was knocked off the derby trail in 2003 when he came out of the La Derby with a leg injury in his first loss but returned to finish 2nd In the Cigar Mile twice & 3rd in the BC Turf Mile. 5x5 to Mr. Prospector.
3) Long Term (5-2) has started three times this year, breaking his maiden in his second start by taking the lead nearing the half mile, then open a clear led into the stretch, then managed to hold 2 late runners safe in the stretch. Next out, he attempted the same strategy, but another beat him to the punch, and he flattened out in the stretch run to finish a well beaten third. Three useful works since his last start and he should be sitting on his best race in his fourth start of the year after a 10-month break. 5x5 to Northern Dancer & Sir Ivor.
7) Thunderian (6-1) was purchased out of a sale in Feb. for $28K by current connections, was gelded and has five starts for him with one win and three thirds. His last start was his only non-placing this year, he drops a level and returns in 9 days. Likely trying to entice someone to claim the horse before he tails off his best form. 4x5 to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-5, $1 Tri Box 1-3-5, $.30 Super Box 1-3-5-7, $.50 Super Key 1 with 3-5-7 with 3-5-7 with 3-5-7. Total Risk: $26.20.
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Race 6: Allowance O/C $62.5K ---- Purse $100,000 --- 3 YOs & Up N/w $18K 2x or N/W 3 Lifetime or Claiming $62,500 --- 6 Furlongs:
11) High Connection (8-1) is making his first start of the year and his first start for new trainer Pletcher after being removed from Baffert's barn for the 2nd time late last year, likely because owners were expecting much more from a horse with his bloodlines and purchase price. Trainer has put a dozen works in him since he re-entered the work tab with one missed work while preparing others for derby week races and works (likely was missed on chart for due work date). However, trainer moved his next three works to 6-day intervals that should got him back on track. 4x3 to Deputy Minister.
4) High Oak (20-1) looked like he was going to develop into a nice runner but took a hard fall in last year's FOY stakes and is obviously having a hard time (or flashbacks) getting over his tragic fall. But he is showing signs of putting that behind him but needs some help from a jockey to let him run his race and not force him to get too close to the lead early, which was his style before the fall. Believes he gets that help with John V. He has three useful works since his last start and moves back to the surface where both sides of his family have the most success. 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector, 5x5 to Secretariat. 4th dam, Leix, is 1/2 sister to Shenanigans and developed her own important line.
1)Cadazero(8-1) was purchased out of an April sale for $60K and makes his first start for new connections. Trainer is known for putting slow works into his trainees preferring to let them go much further than recorded work and follows his usual pattern with this one. However, he has 2 graded stakes wins and has to use the tag because of them but is the class of this field. 4x5 to Mr Prospector & Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Raise A Native.
2)Rotknee (3-1) has started three times this year including winning his last race in a good time, 6 days after registering a bullet work that suggested he was reaching his peak fitness. He has one work since that effort, an easy four furlongs that should set him up for another top effort and personally much prefer to see this type of work than another fast/bullet work which rarely help a horse to maintain his form and can do more harm than good. Only problem with him is he is facing a pretty salty field here and does not show facing a field this tough. 5(C)x4(F)x4(F) to Mr. Prospector.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 4-11, $1 Tri Box 1-4-11, $.30 Super Box 1-2-4-11, $1 Super 11 with 1-2-4 with 1-2-4 with 1-2-4. Total Risk $29.20.
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Race 7: Allowance --- Purse $80,000 --- 3 YOs & Up NY Bred N/W $18K 1x or N/W 2 Races Lifetime --- 7 Furlongs Turf:
8) Athenry (12-1) has one start this year which he sat mid-pack early but was out moved by eventual winner into the stretch and chased that one through the stretch while just holding onto second at the wire. He has two works since that effort, a useful work followed by a 3 furlongs blowout work 4 days before next start, likely to try to get him closer to the early pace. 4x5 to Raise A Native, 5x4 to Mr. Prospector. Also has a Secretariat crossing thru two daughters and plenty of Princequillo crossings thru his daughter, Somethingroyal, dam of Secretariat & his son Prince John (3 crosses in dam line alone).
4) Be Of Courage (8-1) has started twice this year which in first start, he did not pick up his feet to finish last and then in next start when stretched out to a mile, set the early pace until collared at the top of the stretch but continued to show good heart by battling back before being outrun to finish 3rd. Castellano, abroad for his only win to date, retakes the mount as he cuts back to 7 furlongs. One bullet 4 furlongs work since that last effort. 4x5 to Danzig, 4(C)x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x5 to Mr. Prospector & Blushing Groom.
1)War Terminator (20-1) has one start this year, back in January, which he did not pick up his feet in an open bred O/C race he was probably overmatched in to begin with. Change of trainers since that effort and a move back up North to face NY bred should help. He finished 3rd in his last effort before leaving the area late last year in same class and conditions as this race and a repeat of that effort puts him in the thick of the outcome of this race. Has 5 works for this effort, the first two were leg stretching type works, followed by two good works and an easy work on grass and around the dogs should have him primed and ready. 4(C(x5(C)x5(F) to Northern Dancer, 5x4 to Fappiano.
7) Dr. Settle's Dream (12-1) will be making his first start of the year. he has eight works to prepare from this start, but last two are typical of works trainer usually gives trainees when he thinks they are ready and rarely tips his hand to indicate how fit they are. But he goes back to Alvarado, who has been his main jockey he uses for the last 5-6 years when he believes they are their fittest. He broke his maiden at first asking, then took on open bred stakes runner and finished last after setting the pace for a half mile at one mile on grass. Will likely appreciate the move back to stater bred and gets lasix for the first time. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 5(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 4-8, $1 Tri Box 1-4-8, $.30 Super Box 1-4-7-8, $1 Super Key 4 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8. Total Risk $29.20.
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Race 8: New York Stakes(G1) --- Purse $600,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 1 1/4 Mile Turf:
5) Virginia Joy (15-1) has started twice this year, the first effort where she sat far off the pace but put in a good late kick to finish 4th. Next start, she was 3rd for most of the way in a four-horse field but managed to get up for second in an extremely slow-paced race. However, her best races have come when she gets up close to the early pace and makes her best move before others have a chance to and she gets a jockey who will give her that opportunity in here. 3x3 to Sadler's Wells, 4x4 to Kris, 5x5 to Nijinsky II & Mill Reef.
8) With The Moonlight (9-2) has started four times this year, winning her first two starts in grade 2 stakes in the U.A.E, then shipping to the U.S. and finishing 2nd in a G1 stakes and then onto England to run one of the dullest races of her career in a G2. Now back to the U.S. but with a work on grass around the dogs since arriving. Trainer is no stranger to big races and have to believe this one will fire her best effort. 5x5 to Mr. Prospector.
7) War Like Goddess (6-5) has started once this year and beat a G3 field fairly easy but these will be much tougher and cuts back to a distance she has never won at, except her maiden win against non-winners. Still, she is the one to beat but regardless, I will take that chance on beating her at her likely off odds because there are simply too many things that can go wrong, regardless of how good one is. Bet her and you will not make any money that is worth the risk. Bet against her and you will likely lose but there is a possibility to make good money by taking a small risk. 5x5 to Northern Dancer.
1)Flirting Bridge (20-1) has started once this year and won her second condition allowance race. She is bred to at least want a 1/4-mile distance, but this will be only her second start at the distance and in her first start narrowly missed becoming a G1 stakes winner. She has five more works since her first start and they should all be helpful in moving her forward. 4x3 to Danehill, 4x4 to Mr. Prospector, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risk: $5 Ex Box 5-8, $1 Tri Box 5-7-8, $.30 Super Box 1-5-7-8, $.50 Super Key 5 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8 with 1-7-8. Total Risks $26.20.
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Race 9: Acorn Stakes(G1) --- Purse $500,000 --- 3 YO Fillies ---- 1 1/16 Mile:
1)Dorth Vader (10-1) has started 4 times with 1 win in her 2nd start of the year as her only board finish. In her last, she was sent to pressure the early pace and it set the race up for several late runners to make a major impact. But in her third start back which was her only win, she proved her would rather rate behind the early speed and then make her move after they tire each other considerably. Believe she again gets that opportunity as there are at least two in here that looks like they want the early lead at all costs. She has changed trainers since the Ky. Oaks and he decided to give Velasquez a try to relax her as most jockey tried thus far has burnt her out. 5x5 to Storm Bird, 5(C)x5(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Mr. Prospector.
8)Accede (8-1) has started twice in her career, breaking her maiden at first asking then in her last start, raced near the rear early and tried to grind her way into contention but it proved futile was front running speed was holding well that day. Trainer has put three more good works in her since that last race and she looks as ready as any in here. Complete outcross in her first 5 generations but is loaded with Teddy & Commando bloodlines.
7)Goodgirl Badhabits (10-1) has started twice and ran away from the competition in both starts but now gets an acid test to see if she is for real. Personally, I think she will pass that test but lose this battle though not likely to fade too bad if she gets over her bad gate habits. She has three good works since her last start which is not really surprising since she has plenty of early speed. The question with her is how well she will handle the pressure she will receive in here. Both her sire, Mastery and broodmare sire, Vindication, were unbeaten in 4 lifetime starts each but both were injured and retired during their 2 YO careers (I let you figure out who trained both). However, this one's 4th dam, Imagining, is also dam of multiple year champion filly, Serena's Song, who also was an excellent producer of solid foals. 5x3 to Seattle Slew, 5x4 to Storm Bird & Weekend Surprise.
4) Occult (12-1) has started twice this year, winning a listed stake race in her first start at 9 furlongs while staying on the favorable part of track that was listed as good and then faltering in her next start on a fast track, also at 9 furlongs. A filly she faced in both these races came back and ran a fast closing second in the Ky Oaks, so you will need to take her speed figures and toss them. She is much faster than those figures suggest but now gets a chance to prove it. Actually, believe she would prefer sitting off the early pace and then making her move turning into the stretch. She has 7 works since her last start with most of them good moves which likely means she is still on the improve. 4x4 to Storm Cat, 5x5 to Halo.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 1-8, $1 Tri Box 1-7-8, $.30 Super Box 1-4-7-8, $1 Super Key 1 with 4-7-8 with 4-7-8 with 4-7-8. Total Risk $29.20.
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Race 10: Belmont Gold Cup S(G2) --- Purse $250,000 --- 4 YOs & Up --- 2 Miles Turf:
Pass.
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Race 11: Intercontinental Stakes(G3) --- Purse $200,000 --- 4 YOs & Up F&M --- 6 Furlongs Turf:
3) Clitheroe (15-1) has started once this year and won a first level condition allowance. She takes a big step up in class, but connections likely thought highly of her to drop north of $800K as a 2 YO purchase. She has two works since her U.S. debut win, a good work at 6 furlongs and a good work at 4 furlongs. She gets to race at the same track for 2 races in a row after switching tracks every start through her first 9 tries. 4(C)x5(C)x4(F) to Nureyev, 5(C)x4(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
2) Sarah Harper (6-1) has started 3 times this year and has finished 3rd in two of those starts. However, her current form cycle started back in August of last year and she now has seven starts without a win but a second and 4 thirds. Her last start was her 2nd lifetime start on grass and she ran into a filly named Caravel both times. Caravel upset the boys in the BC Turf Sprint last year at 40-1 in gate to wire fashion. In Sarah Harper's first six starts of her career, she set quarter fractions of 21 4/5 seconds or faster, but those have been missing since she has returned. Why? It seems to me her trainer has been trying to get her to rate and it is not working as plan. Now it's time to go back to the catch me if you can type game. One good work since her last start. Can wire this field with a good break. 4x5 to Danzig.
7) Bubble Rock (5-2) has started twice this year which she finished 2nd in her first start in a first condition allowance, then return in a listed stakes race that is often the springboard race for sprint grass fillies to bigger and better races and won. Has 2 good works on grass around the dogs since that effort and a repeat performance would not be a surprise. 4x5 to Mr. Prospector, 4(C)x5(F)x5(F) to Northern Dancer.
1)Poppy Flower (9-2) has started twice this year with her first start being against O/C foes where she finished 3rd in a five-horse field that was nothing more than an out to help her get fitter, then a listed stakes where she finished second to the likely favorite in here. She has three works since her last start, the first work was a maintenance breeze followed by 2 good works that likely has her ready to give a top effort again. 5(C)x5(C)x 5(F) to Northern Dancer.
My Risks: $5 Ex Box 2-3, $1 Tri Box 2-3-7, $.30 Super Box 1-2-3-7, $1 Super Key 2 with 1-3-7 with 1-3-7 with 1-3-7. Total Risk $29.20.
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7th Race Late P5: 1,4 with 5,8 with 1,8 with 2,11 with 1,2. Total Risk $16.00. Total Risk All Bets: $225.40.
2023.06.08 17:36 Individual_Mess3929 Metal Gear Remake Concepts Part 1
hese are concepts ideas I had for an Metal Gear (1987) remake which I would dub as Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven. Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990) would be called Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland. Both games would be long and give a lot of depth on Solid Snake's past and his relationship with Big Boss, Campbell and Gray Fox. Another game I would push for is Metal Gear Solid: The Philanthropy Chronicles.It would allow players to play as Solid Snake and his supporting cast after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. Snake’s mission to continue taking out metal gears and track down the Patriots along with Revolver Ocelot. It would lead up to the events of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. I will be working on Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland concepts soon.
The concept for a Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven (MGS6: OH):
I know its long as Metal Gear (1987) would have to be a game that is remade from the bottom up. A remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would be easier since it was a rock solid game. One wouldn't have to change much from it just expand on the story, elements and characterization it has already. I would love to get feed back from fans here.
Story:
The storytelling aspect is inspired by how MGS (1998) told its story. The game would start with Otacon, a ghost writer that wrote the novel of Snake’s exploits and those that work with Snake during Operation Intrude N313 telling the events of Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Heaven to journalist they trust. We learn that Snake is paradon for his crimes and is buried as a war hero next to the grave of Big Boss. Given a Medal of Honor award and other awards from other countries for saving the world several times. The world is now knowing about his story and thus even more interested to learn of Snakes exploits during his youth. David Hayter voice being used as a recorded message from a dying Solid Snake giving accounts on what happened in Metal Gear Solid 6 and 7 along with most of his life. Snake hopes that his message and story will inspire others to be better and fight for what is right.
David Hayter wouldn’t voice a young Solid Snake as I feel a voice actor that is younger but can emulate David Hayter mannerism and his voice should do it. A young Solid Snake having a hint of innocence, nativity, vulnerability and self doubt at times.
David Hayter would voice Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland since Snake is supposed to be older and wiser. David would be able to give us this voice range and kick it out of the park including the duel against the real Big Boss.
Plot:
The year is 1995, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Cold War is now over. The threat of nuclear war is gone and the world embraces this newfound peace. However, this peace is short-lived as there are those that don’t want it. The world is engulfed with the threat of terrorism and rogue states that want to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The free world is now being threatened once again. The US Government works to combat this threat with its covert U.S. Army unit known as Fox-Hound under the leadership of the legendary war hero known as Big Boss. However, when a government agent goes missing during a mission…The agent last reports a weapon that can shake the foundations of the world known as “Metal Gear”. Big Boss sends in a rookie but talented Fox-Hound agent known as Solid Snake to learn of this new weapon. Will Snake learn the truth about this new weapon or will the world find out what Metal Gear will do if it's unleashed?
Mission:
Like MGS3 there would be a Virtuous Mission in MGS6:OH.
This is where Snake goes to South Africa and has to get to Outer Haven which is a vastly HUGE heavily defended base. Potentially the best soldiers and mercenaries in the world work and defend the base. It is an official mission sponsored by Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, NSA, UN and top members of the US Government. This means Solid Snake gets a load of equipment, gadgets and weapons for the mission.
MSG3 gameplay elements
Kyle Schneider
submitted by Individual_Mess3929 to metalgearsolid [link] [comments]
The concept for a Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Haven (MGS6: OH):
I know its long as Metal Gear (1987) would have to be a game that is remade from the bottom up. A remake of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake would be easier since it was a rock solid game. One wouldn't have to change much from it just expand on the story, elements and characterization it has already. I would love to get feed back from fans here.
Story:
The storytelling aspect is inspired by how MGS (1998) told its story. The game would start with Otacon, a ghost writer that wrote the novel of Snake’s exploits and those that work with Snake during Operation Intrude N313 telling the events of Metal Gear Solid 6: Outer Heaven to journalist they trust. We learn that Snake is paradon for his crimes and is buried as a war hero next to the grave of Big Boss. Given a Medal of Honor award and other awards from other countries for saving the world several times. The world is now knowing about his story and thus even more interested to learn of Snakes exploits during his youth. David Hayter voice being used as a recorded message from a dying Solid Snake giving accounts on what happened in Metal Gear Solid 6 and 7 along with most of his life. Snake hopes that his message and story will inspire others to be better and fight for what is right.
David Hayter wouldn’t voice a young Solid Snake as I feel a voice actor that is younger but can emulate David Hayter mannerism and his voice should do it. A young Solid Snake having a hint of innocence, nativity, vulnerability and self doubt at times.
David Hayter would voice Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibarland since Snake is supposed to be older and wiser. David would be able to give us this voice range and kick it out of the park including the duel against the real Big Boss.
Plot:
The year is 1995, the Soviet Union has collapsed and the Cold War is now over. The threat of nuclear war is gone and the world embraces this newfound peace. However, this peace is short-lived as there are those that don’t want it. The world is engulfed with the threat of terrorism and rogue states that want to get their hands on nuclear weapons. The free world is now being threatened once again. The US Government works to combat this threat with its covert U.S. Army unit known as Fox-Hound under the leadership of the legendary war hero known as Big Boss. However, when a government agent goes missing during a mission…The agent last reports a weapon that can shake the foundations of the world known as “Metal Gear”. Big Boss sends in a rookie but talented Fox-Hound agent known as Solid Snake to learn of this new weapon. Will Snake learn the truth about this new weapon or will the world find out what Metal Gear will do if it's unleashed?
Mission:
Like MGS3 there would be a Virtuous Mission in MGS6:OH.
- Solid Snake is sent in by Big Boss to sneak into Mother Boss from MGS5 via Los Angeles Class (Block 3).
- Mother Base is set to be demolished by Outer Heaven forces as they move their forces and operations to mainland Galzburg, South Africa.
- Snake’s mission to find and rescue Gray Fox and any of the kidnapped scientists that work for Dr. Madnar. Find out what Metal Gear is and take them to the extraction point aka an Helicopter Pad not in use by Outer Haven units. Afterward, deploy the fulton recovery device for extraction
- Snake learns Gray Fox is being held in South Africa at the Outer Haven main base along with Dr. Madnar and his top scientist team. His low level assistants were to be executed by Outer Heaven soldiers via demolishing Mother Base. Last, that Metal Gear is also in South Africa and that Outer Haven is planning to use a custom made ICBM nuclear tipped missile potentially on any country that threatens them.
- The mission goes bad when Snake is about to have the scientist air lifted off the ground via fulton recovery devices. The scientists are brutally gunned down by Outer Haven Elite soldiers.
- An enraged Snake takes down the Outer Haven soldiers that approach him using his hybrid but deadly CQC system and tries to air lift himself via fulton recovery device. However, he is ambushed by a masked Venom Snake aka The Masked Phantasm.
- Snake puts up one hell of a fight, hitting Venom several times to where the point where Venom can only praise Snake’s skills. However, he loses when Venom plays mind games with him including stating his full code name and kicks up off the rig.
- Mother Base is destroyed by Venom and his men. Snake is adrift at sea until he is saved by the Los Angeles Class Submarine (Block 3) that helped him infiltrate Mother Base. He is later taken back to the states for a debriefing on what happened while he recovers in a hospital.
- In this mission, Snake only has Big Boss communicating with him and does not get much support. He is given only a trap gun, his CQC knife and basic first aid kits.
- The suit he wears is similar to his sneaking suit from MGS. Only this suit is design to swim on to the Mother Base elevator platform and sneak around on the surface at night
This is where Snake goes to South Africa and has to get to Outer Haven which is a vastly HUGE heavily defended base. Potentially the best soldiers and mercenaries in the world work and defend the base. It is an official mission sponsored by Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, NSA, UN and top members of the US Government. This means Solid Snake gets a load of equipment, gadgets and weapons for the mission.
- The briefing section for the main mission would give Escape from New York vibes. Big Boss, Lt. Colonel Roy Campell and other government officials brief Snake on his mission. It is here Snake sees his weapons, equipment and gadgets he will have for Operation:.
- Snake mission is the following: 1. Rescue Gray Fox, Kyle Schidener and Dr. Madnar. 2. Investigate War Crimes committed by Outer Haven. 3. Aid Resistance Fighters in any way possible. 4. Rescue any other hostages on the base. 5. Destroy Metal Gear and Neutralize the threat Outer Haven poses to the world. 6. Terminate the Masked Phantasm (Venom Snake)
- He is air dropped in South Africa by an C-130 gunship (Reference to Metal Gear NES/MGS3) and is ordered to meet with an Resistance fighter before moving into an areas destroyed by Outer Heaven forces via horse back
- This intro game would be similar to Rambo 3 and gives a hint on what Solid Snake will be going up against as travel though the beginning of the game seeing Outer Heaven air force units from a distance bomb villages
- The main mission would be a large map to roam around. The location being Galzburg, South Africa where the main base of Outer Haven is located at.
- When Gray Fox is rescued, he will provide support and be Snake’s mentor.
- Level boss battles will be intense and hard
- Last, Entering Outer Haven HQ will be intense and the final battle as well.
MSG3 gameplay elements
- Like MGS3, you could change your camouflage and blend into the environment, camouflage meter, survive off the wilderness and eat foods.
- Finding food in the wilderness would boost Snake’s stamina and also assist with him getting his LIFE up when he rests. However, they would not boost his LIFE up like military rations or other foods (Three-Five star food) found in the supply depots or mess halls at Outer Haven bases would.
- The first aid system from MGS3 would play a part in the game. Solid Snake would be able to heal his wounds or stop bleeding like Big Boss did in MGS3 many decades ago. So having first aid items will be vital.
- The game would have different rations from different countries that Snake can eat from if he takes it off an Outer Haven soldier or from their supply depots. Military rations help heal Snake LIFE and give a small or moderate boost depending on the quality of the ration. (ex. American Military rations would give a moderate boost to Snake LIFE but would give a small boost to his stamina as he isn’t in favor of the rations taste. Russian rations would only give Snake a Small boost in LIFE and small boost in stamina due to its taste. Call back to MGS3. French Rations would boost Snake’s LIFE and Stamina completely which would be a call back to MSG4.)
- Different foods found on Outer Haven bases can boost Snake’s stamina up and LIFE better than Rations such as the Calorie Mate, Curry, different sodas, snacks, etc. Also, three or five star meals found in Outer Haven mess halls scatter through-out their many sub bases or garrisons. P.S. I want to have a scene where Solid Snake finds a Calorie Mate and speaks to Big Boss about it and the two have an interesting conversation about it. (Lol)
- Snake can sabotage enemy supply deports and armories to reduce the enemies ability in fighting him if spotted.
- Over the shoulder gameplay
- First person view and aiming down the sights
- A fluid polished gun gameplay mechanic
- Customizable weapon system, weapon attachment, swapping out and fixing inventory slot for weapons and/or inventory
- Psyche meter, this goes down when Snake is spotted too much and takes too much damage
- Currency system to upgrade weapons and get ammo when Snake runs into Resistance fighters weapon vendors
- Solid Snake having the option to assist resistance fighters or continue with his mission
- Aiding resistance fighters will help Snake during take segments of the game. They will return favors to Snake by giving him rations, weapons, other foods and ammo
- Saving hostages at Outer Haven facilities will also assist Snake and give him items or information
- Polished CQC system
- Being able to pick up ammo and weapons of dead enemy soldiers. No ID tags for the weapon.
- Polished CQC and fighting system
- Being able to operate vehicles, tanks, apcs and infantry fighting vehicles. However, enemy forces will start to respond more aggressive call in armored units or gunships to Snake out
- Ride horses
- Weather and day changes at random times, Snake can use this for his advantage
- Enemy checkpoints and small bases that Outer Haven use as buffer against intruders and Outer Haven resistance fighters
- Call in support from local Outer Heaven Resistance fighters (only if you assisted them in them battles, gained their respect and they’re nearby to help)
- Gunship helicopter patrols
- Air assault units
- Armored convoy patrol
- Snake can sabotage mini Outer Haven bases, outpost and can knock enemy communications which makes it harder for enemies to call for back up
- Sabotaging Outer Heaven outposts and their infrastructure will cause Outer Heaven to move their forces out to confront the Resistance fighters thus giving Solid Snake a chance to get past them
- Snake can smoke his Lucky Striker cigarettes to bring up his Psyche or allow time to pass by similar to what Venom Snake did with his E-Cigars in MSG5
- The game would allow players/Solid Snake to use stealth mechanics similar to that game to get by or attack Outer Heaven soldiers
- This also means hiding in the shadows and sometimes staying out of the light
- Like GTA games, if you do too much damage to the police they get more aggressive.
- It would be no different when you fight Outer Haven soldiers as they will start to send in more elite soldiers with better weapons and armor.
- They will also be able to be armored units or mechanized units and gunships would be sent to kill Snake.
- Worse, Air strikes and heavy artillery strikes as well. Some OH units would deploy bi-pedal armor vehicles and jet packs along with guard dogs.
- This would strongly support the stealth element of the game and give it a war horror movie vibe if you get spotted by the enemy. It doesn’t matter how many good weapons you have on you. You will be overwhelmed by Outer Heaven soldiers and will die if you get spotted multiple times.
- This would be similar to what you see in GTA if too many law enforcement agents continue to swarm on you
- Non-linear gameplay- meaning random patrols of Outer Soldiers can occur the closer you get to Outer Haven HQ
- Open world map. Goal is to give fans the immersion that the red dead redemption games gave. Basically the Outer Heaven is like a large country in and of itself
- Game would reward you for not being spotted and embracing the stealth elements of the game. This means you will encounter less Outer Heaven patrols in the game and they won’t be heavily geared up when doing them
- If Snake gets spotted too much in the game, Outer Heaven soldiers will be more hype vigilante, heavily armed and geared up. They will change their patrol tactics to make it difficult for Snake to sneak around. Worse double up on patrols or have support from armored units, gunships or unmanned drones.
- Stealth take down system. Snake can perform lethal or non-lethal takedowns rambo style when his enemies get close. The players can make the decision on which take down to use.
- Snake can switch his fighting system from CQC to the various martial arts he knows. If multiple soldiers are near him he can use CQC or use standard martial arts when fighting enemies that can counter his CQC based attacks.
- He can use a CQC take down on enemies not paying attention to him or other forms of melee takedowns.
- This is to showcase how skilled Snake is when it comes to fighting
- Different locations have points that are controlled by the Outer Haven Resistance fighters and Outer Heaven soldiers
- The game will reward players for assisting Outer Heaven resistances and sabotaging Outer Heaven bases
- Liberate occupied villages under Outer Heaven soldiers occupation or avoid them, go though abandoned villages or resistance fighter controlled villages
- The closer you get to Outer Haven, the more patrols and mini bases run by Outer Heaven soldiers you will encounter. This means the game will get very difficult real quick.
- Outer Heaven patrols will be random at time depending on how many times you have raised the alarms or not during your mission
- Caution mode would contribute to this but there will be more patrols if you cause yourself to enter caution phase too much
- The travel to Outer Haven’s main HQ is to parallel MSG3 when Big Boss had to travel to Gronznyj Grad. It short, Snake travels to Outer Haven would be an epic long high adrenaline rush journey to defeat Venom Snake and destroy TX-55 Metal Gear
- South Africa’s map would be vast and large. It is filled with its soft and rough terrain. Snake can use this to his advantage but so can Outer Heaven Soldiers
- Players will have the option to either go to Outer Heaven outpost or avoid them by using the rough terrain to get around the outpost
- Gray Fox will assist Snake in certain parts of the game and provide support either though radio or combat support to take down a level boss.
- At times, Snake and Gray Fox would work together to take down Outer Haven patrols
- The final part of the game involves Solid Snake and Gray Fox having to fight hordes of Elite Outer Heaven soldiers as they fight to stop Venom Snake from using TX-55 to fire a completed experimental long range ICBM nuclear missile on the Patriots
- Last, Solid Snake vs Venom Snake. Venom proclaims that he is Big Boss to Snake after taking off his mask and the two fight. The rest is history.
- The final battle is to parallel the battle between The Boss and Big Boss. Intense gunfight and CQC fight between the two. Snake needs to use an experimental rocket launcher made by Outer Haven to kill Venom Snake
- After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story though his eyes and how he is informed by the Real Big Boss to assist Snake and help him take down Venom Snake.
- Being able to blend into the environment Rambo/Navy SEAL tier One style to either get past enemies or take them down one by one
- Snake would have a booby trap system inspire the Rambo movies to help ambush soldiers or distract them while they go to aid wounded soldiers.
- Snake can create ghillie suits to hide from enemy soldiers, covertly sneak past them or use it to ambush them
- Players would have multiple options on how to enter Outer Heaven outpost and the main HQ
- The weapons in the game will be from late 60s to mid 90s. Weapons form both Soviet Union, Warsaw Pact, China and NATO countries. This goes from handgun, submachines, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and anti tank weapons. Last, grenades and mines.
- Weapons can be customizable for Snake to use if he finds the attachment for the weapons or finds an resistance fighter vendor that is nearby to upgrade his weapons
- Enemies use weapons fitted for the environment that they operate it and it's at random the types they use
- Some weapons will be custom built weapons that don’t exist in the real world to be the spirit of the previous Metal Gear Solid game.
- Some weapons will allow Snake to use his CQC techniques or basic melee attacks with weapons
- Snake's suit is a combination of late 80s and 90s US Army Special Forces attire but modified.
- 90s tactical vest. It can be upgraded for Snake to carry more ammo and to take more damage as time goes on
- Custom built MP5SD6 with a folding stock, an Beretta 92FS with an tactical flashlight/laser sighting, also can be fitted with an suppressor and MK.22 Trap gun. The weapons are modded so he can use his CQC skills
- A small pack that allows Snake to carry items. This can be increased by upgrading it in the game
- Motion-sensing radar that allows him to track enemy soldiers, a precursor to Soliton Radar. It acts more like a sonar device then radar
- Mountain climbing equipment
- Combat Scuba gear (can be refilled by going outer heaven supply deports)
- Snake has a advanced long range radio and a wireless headset to communicate with his team
- Wire cutters
- Different camouflages and face paint to wear
- Idroid like device but advanced
- Fox Hound adaptation of INT-SCOPE but more advanced and has the ability for Snake to switch to different fields of view including Night Vision and Thermal Infrared. Last, a camera system for Snake to take pictures
- INT-SCOPE can be used to help Snake what tier Outer Heaven Soldier that he is dealing with and help him plan acquiring and allow him to listen in
- Tactical flashlights
- Tools to create ghillie suits
- CQC knife
- Survival Knife used for melee take downs
- Limited Fox-Hound issued MRE rations to restore life and stamina along with restore psyche
- A blue bandana that Big Boss gives him
- Vehicles found in the game are jeeps, armored tank, tanks, APCs, artillery vehicles and helicopters along with jets from the late 70s to mid 90s
- Unmanned vehicles that didn’t exist in the mid 90s
- The end of the 80s going into a new era aka the 90s.
- Desert Storm and the aftermath of the war
- The politics behind America being the only SuperpoweHype-power in the 90s
- Child Soldiers, Solid Snake being one.
- NATO, its organization expanding and the conflicts it was involved in though peacekeeping missions
- The fall of the Soviet Union, end of the Cold War, and Post-Cold War politics/events
- The rise of new technology, internet, movies, music CGI and upcoming digital age in the 90s
- The rise of global terrorism and rogue states
- The threat terrorism and rogue states pose and the fear of them getting their hands on nuclear weapons. A true big fear of the 90s going into the 2000s
- Coming of age soldiesecret agent/legend (Solid Snake)
- The Rambo movie series since Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake were heavily influenced by the first three Rambo movies.
- 80s and 90s James Bond movies. Mostly Goldeneye since it follows post-cold war.
- Die Hard movies series, gun battles and intensity between the characters and death defining odds
- Hardboiled (1992), the gun battle that Solid Snake and Gray Fox will have against the swarm of Outer Haven elite soldiers would be heavily influenced off the final gun battle from this movie.
- Running Man, the Boss level villains being similar in design to the villains from the movie, only less colorful, evil like, aggressive and more tactical in fighting.
- Face Off (1997) - action scenes
- Escape from New York, since the first game was influenced by the movie. The main mission where Solid Snake goes to South Africa with official support will give off this type of vibes including the mission briefing he is given as he looks at his equipment.
- The Rock (1996), action scenes and the relationship that Sean Connery as John Patrick Mason and Nicolas Cage as Stanley Goodspeed, FBI. Its similar to the relationship Gray Fox and Solid Snake will have.
- The music for the game would be influenced by the previous MGS games, Rambo movies, Syphon filter and action movies from the 90s. Mixed bag of tones to give different vibes for the game
- The music will be atmospheric in nature as you move around Mother Base and later South Africa
- One set of music to make you feel like a spy, other half giving you the false sense of safety, other places the music will make you feel like your in a warzone and/or being chased
- Real world music from the 80s and 90s that players can listen to when they find a Sony Discman D-145 (1995) laying around or Sony walkmans
- Real world music would 80s - 1995, Rock, Pop, Alternative Rock, R&B, Mainstream hits, Rap, Jaxx and etc. Can listen to game music as well on either device when you the player find them.
- David/Solid Snake:
- A child soldier of sorts. He spent his life being fostered by different foster parents (Patriot handlers) until he reached the age of 6. After that, Solid Snake was trained though-out most of his life by his many handlers at an US Army run school.
- In the US Army run school (Patriots involvement), he was made to engage in a mix of U.S. infantry, Airborne infantry, U.S. Army Ranger, Green Beret and Delta Force style harsh training. Add in the school making him learn different languages at a young age.
- On days he didn’t do military training, Snake was made to endure intense academic schooling. It was here Snake was pushed to understand the general knowledge of Science, Math, Reading, English, Writing, Workshop Skills at a High School to College level. In addition, understand how to operate most vehicles as well.
- At age 18, he was later placed in the US Army as a 2LT to a Green Beret Unit. The Patriots and his handlers, changed his age date so that he was capable of joining the unit and being a junior officer. He is second in command of the unit and sent to fight in Desert Storm (1990-1991).
- Solid Snake had a short but very successful career in the US Army through the multiple successful missions he completed in that war.
- His missions involved him destroying multiple SCUD launchers, sabotaging Iraqi supply lines, disputing their communication lines, assassination or capturing of top Iraqi officers, and deep reconnaissance within Iraq. His unit would also take part in aiding in liberating Kuwait.
- He is awarded a Silver Star and promotion to Captain before personally being recruited into Fox-Hound by Big Boss himself.
- Big Boss and Roy Campell were coordinating Fox-Hound operations in Desert Storm which is why they knew of Snake’s exploits and saw him as a candidate for the unit.
- Prime Solid Snake is a force to reckon with and is considered to be the best all around Fox-Hound agent along with being the finest practitioner of CQC next to Big Boss and The Boss.
- Big Boss states to Gray Fox at the end of the game that Snake could defeat The Boss with ease had they had fought in a straight hand to hand duel in the 1960s. In short, this is Big Boss way of humbling Gray Fox and telling him to NOT underestimate Snake for when the time comes for Fox to kill him (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake events).
- Snake’s CQC is unique and deadly in design due to his expert knowledge of various different martial arts from his youth, his mastery of Close Quarter Battle (CQB) and knowledge of CQC handed down to him by Big Boss. Snake incorporates many different forms of Martial Arts to his style of CQC where he adds in striking (punching and kicking), fake or faints, foot work, clinch, ground fighting and grappling.
- Despite being inexperienced, Snake makes up for this by being sure of his skills and not being afraid to pull the trigger. Snake’s real fear is that he is going up against experienced killers and soldiers by himself who can kill him
- Snake’s relationship with Gray Fox is similar to the relationship to what we saw in MGS2 between Solid Snake and Raiden. Only a young Solid Snake is more badass when compared to a young Raiden
- Snake’s relationship to Roy Campell is similar to what we see in MGS. However, the two become friends quickly due to the experiences they share being involved in Desert Storm.
- Roy Campell encourages Snake not to give up and to be sure of himself. He also calms down an enraged Snake when they learn that Big Boss is behind everything.
- Solid Snake's relationship with Big Boss is similar to The Boss and Naked Snake in MGS3 but a lot longer as Big Boss continues to “support” Solid Snake with his mission.
- Fox-Hound, NATO, CIA, FBI and NSA start to put the pieces together that Big Boss is behind everything. He goes off the air and Venom Snake confronts Solid Snake. Rest is history after that.
Big Boss: - He is the commander of Fox-Hound and re-organizes the covert special forces unit to combat terrorism and rogue states trying to get their hands on nuclear weapons.
- This was a fear in the 90s and Big Boss being a legendary war hero made him the perfect pick to be the leaders of the organization again
- Under his leadership, Fox-Hound is successful in taking out world terrorists, international arms dealers, their backs and having them arrest by allied countries
- Big Boss and Roy Campell are awarded medals for their efforts
- Big Boss holds the simulated rank of a One Star General in within Fox-Hound due to his vast war experience, successful missions and saving the world several times over
- We learn of Big Boss past and how he was an top NCO before MGS3 before being given an rank of officer
- Big Boss personally trains Solid Snake and passes his legacy down to him after Snake accepts an open challenge to spare him and hits Big Boss multiple times before losing.
- This is a tradition Big Boss would offer recruits during his command. The challenge was that he would train any recruit as his solo student if they could hit him in sparring. Only Snake was the only recruit to do so in Fox-Hound.
- Big Boss does care for Solid Snake in a bizarre way and doesn’t want to see him killed unless it's by his hands which he is secretly plotting to do.
- In the virtuous and main mission, Big Boss provides support to Solid Snake by giving him advice from his war time experience, how to survive in sneaking around Outer Haven and how to survive off the land.
- During Boss battles, Big Boss goes off the air, leaving Campell to assist.
- Everyone becomes suspicious of Big Boss when they discover his spy plane has disappeared off radar and it is not far from Outer Haven.
- Worse, when intelligence agencies learn that Big Boss was sending message to Outer Heaven HQ (Gray Fox) but they are unaware of who
- They create an warrant for his arrest and the rest is history after Venom Snake dies
Roy Campbell : - He isn’t a full bird colonel yet and is an Lt. Colonel. He is second in command of Fox-Hound.
- Big Boss trusted Campell because of the events they shared in MSG:PO and the vast amount of experience he has in counter-terrorism missions to black ops in taking out terrorists leaders.
- Campbell quickly befriends Solid Snake due to their shared war experiences in Desert Storm.
- Campbell is a skilled tactician and strategist, and is heavily supportive of Solid Snake. He gives Snake (Player) hints and clues to move around in the game. In addition, information on weapons and vehicles.
- Last, he gives ideas on how to destroy level bosses
Gray Fox: - He was on a mission to assassinate Venom Snake after Big Boss discovered that Venom wants to use Nuclear Weapons against Patriot run countries that would trigger a nuclear war. Of course, official members of Fox-Hound are unaware of this and believe he is investigating Outer Haven to learn if they’re involved with terrorists.
- He fails his mission that Big Boss assigned to him and is captured by Venom Snake after losing a fight against him.
- Venom spares his life and threatens that if he escape, he will personally take him out next time.
- After being feed by Solid Snake, Gray Fox is ordered by Big Boss in secret to assist Snake in taking out Venom and later assassinate Snake to cover up everything at Outer Heaven.
- However, Gray Fox is unable to help Snake take out Venom after being cut off by a swarm of Outer Haven soldiers. He instead sacrifices himself so that Snake can stop Venom from launching nukes from Metal Gear TX-55. Later, fakes his death so he could return to the real Big Boss and help with Zainabarland
- After beating the game, you can play as Gray Fox and see the story through his eyes. Learn more about him, his fighting style and how he assists Solid Snake
- His fighting is mixed between his fighting style as Null (MGS:PO), CQC concepts Big Boss passed to him, Knife fighting style and pro gun fighting skills.
- Venom Snake would have a huge makeover since the events of Metal Gear Solid 5. He has been given nanomachines so that he can survive future medical surgery and look more like Big Boss and stand in for him.
- The horn in his head is removed which almost kills him but the nanomachines prevent this and heal him. They also grant him superhuman abilities that turn him into a super-soldier of sorts. His bionic hand is replaced with a more human-like bionic hand.
- The nanomachines are a precursor to what Vamp would have many years later. Only Venom’s nanos won’t bring him back from the dead, just heal him faster. However, the side effects is that the nanos in him are making him mentally unhinged
- He is given a new sneaking suit to help harness his new abilities and provide extra protection for him. Snake would need to use an Anti-Tank rifle or Anti-Tank rocket launcher to take him out.
- He is not the same man he was in MSG5. He is more militant towards the Patriots, ruthless and cold blooded. A pure demon at this point and isn’t afraid to commit war crimes or allow his men to do so.
- Venom’s prime mission is to destroy the Patriots and nations they run via nuclear strike using TX-55 Metal Gear. However, he knows that Outer Haven will be hit by NATO countries.
- This causes a rift between Venom and Big Boss. Venom sees Big Boss as being weak and is not willing to do enough to destroy the Patriots and is not willing to do whatever it takes to do so.
- However, the rift is created by Master Miller who kept his promise to help make the sons of Big Boss and Venom Snake stronger then Big Boss
- The rift gets so bad that Big Boss suspects Venom is not being loyal to him anymore and sends in Gray Fox to find out what Venom is doing leading to Metal Gear (1987) events and to assassinate him. Fox fails and loses to Venom in a fight. Venom shows mercy and has Fox locked at a maximum security brig at the Outer Haven prison site.
- A Venom Snake respects Solid Snake as he sees how skilled he is but he also plays mind games with him by hinting his relationship to Big Boss.
- He now wears a mask when he goes out in battlefields to fight aside his men so as to keep Big Boss identity hidden. He is dubbed the Masked Phantasm by world intelligence agencies. As far as the world is concerned, nobody knows who the Masked Phantasm is. Some people think he is a student of Big Boss due to CQC abilities. Near the end, he takes the mask off to reveal to Solid Snake who he is Big Boss (fake one).
- Last, we will know of the tragic story of Venom Snake and how really wanted to be a doctor after his contract with Militaires Sans Frontières end.
- Sadly, no one will ever know about Venom Snake and the man he was before his tragic events.
- He will apologize via radio to Big Boss asking his forgiveness and informs him that Solid Snake is not a man but a demon of their own making. Last, he correctly predicts that Snake will defeat the Patriots and do what they failed to do right before the Outer Haven based self destructs.
Kyle Schneider
- Developer of Outer Haven and help with building the base. Later, becomes the leader of the Outer Haven resistance force in South Africa after learning of Outer Haven’s war crimes in the region.
- He is captured and the resistance fighters try to scramble to rescue him. They agree to help Fox-Hound and Solid Snake in exchange for the safe return of their leader
- Knows where most of the weapons, foods and other important items are on the base will inform Snake on where to find them.
- Also inform Snake of where vital security checkpoints are and more are located at.
- Is caught in the explosion when NATO destroys what is left of Outer Haven. He is saved by the Real Big Boss.
- He will tragically become the Black Ninja and this leads to the event of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake where he will seek revenge against the world for what has happened to him.
- She is the sister of Kyle Scheider. She took it upon herself to go and rescue her brother despite not being a soldier or warrior.
- She disguises herself as a nurse and sneaks into the base. She assist Snakes with information and where weapons are at.
- The original game doesn't say what happened to her. So I have her help Solid Snake escape and they watch Outer Haven from a distance get destroyed with NATO delivering air strikes on reminding Outer Haven bases
- She is present when Solid Snake is giving a medal for completing the mission by President Bill Clinton
- The two have a brief relationship before he moves to Canada to be an undercover CIA agent
- Snake helps her find a job in America for her helping him and getting her a green card to stay in America
- A Goth Punk rocker that has a band called Thin Wall. She performed for Outer Haven several times and knows about the base
- She assists Snake with giving information on Outer Haven bases and the main HQ. Also, info on the mercenaries that operate the bases and informs him of the weakness of the Bosses in the game.
- She has a crush on Solid Snake and is in her early 20s.
- She is present for Solid Snake getting a medal for completing the mission
- The developer of the first Metal Gear. His project, himself, his scientist and his daughter are taken hostage by Outer Heaven soldiers
- He is being used to complete TX-55 Metal Gear and develop an custom built nuclear tipped ICBM that can be fired from Metal Gear
- Informs Solid Snake on how to take out Metal Gear He is taken off base by Jennifer after Snakes saves him
- He informs the US Government to send Snake his regards fos saving him
- The daughter of Dr. Madnar. She is being used as a tool to force Dr. Madnar on continuing his work on TX-55 Metal Gear
- She is saved by Snake and escorted off the base by Jennifer
- She is present for Snake getting a medal for completing the mission and stands in for her father
- Expert in science, engineering and responsible for making all of the gadgets Fox-Hound has
- He is also aware of the weapon systems, gadgets and tools that Outer Heaven Soldiers use
- Son of Donald Anderson
- Gameplay mechanic, he is charge of saving the game for you when you contact him
- Would return in Metal Gear Solid 7: Zanzibar Land and Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy Chronicles to aid Snake. In Philanthropy Chronicles he aids Snake to atone for the sins of his father. He would go into hiring with Snake’s afterwards which is why there is no mention of him in MGS4
- He would leave Fox-Hound after the Zanzibarland incident and work for the CIA as a gadget builder
2023.06.08 17:01 bakert12 Update changelog
Introduced a new map module: DCS: Sinai
Introduced a new campaign: UH-1H The Huey Last Show Campaign by SorelRo
General. Fixing typos, updates to briefings etc.
submitted by bakert12 to hoggit [link] [comments]
Introduced a new campaign: UH-1H The Huey Last Show Campaign by SorelRo
DCS World
- Infantry no longer smoke when injured or killed
- ME. Weather widget: Broken alignment. Not enough space for strings - fixed
- Ships. Arleigh Burke aft launcher is missing the 'boom' sound when the SM-2 missile is fired - fixed
- ME. Mission Editor freezes when creating a new group - fixed
- AI Aircraft. AV-8B. Incorrect deck landing and takeoff in some cases - fixed
- AI Aircraft. AV-8B can't take off from FARP and sea shelf objects - fixed
- GUI Error when try to select track in some cases - fixed
- Ground units. In some situations, the collision of a bullet and a unit is not registered - fixed.
- MP. Server CTD if the client is destroyed due to a trigger and the client leaves the server - fixed.
- Historical mode. Egyptian list of units tuned.
- MP. There is no confirmation window when exiting the MP via the role selection menu - window added
- ME. ATC always shows AM radio modulation even if scene role set to FM - fixed
- AI Aircraft. MiG-31 will be able to simultaneously launch up to four R-33 missiles to four targets.
- Improved rendering of sea water surface in FLIR.
- ME. Aircraft payload view will stay open when "Additional Properties" tab is open.
- FLIR. South Atlantic Map IR render is adjusted.
- AI Aircraft. AI fighters will attack specialized interceptors like MiG-31 type if they are tasked with attacking fighters.
- MP. Server CTD on unit:destroy when player controlled - fixed
- Incorrect display of the horizon visibility boundary in TV mode of targeting pods - adjusted
- VR. Left eye has issues with lights on terrain and buildings - fixed lightmap applying in multi-viewport setup
- ME. MK-84 and some other bombs are missing in the Bomb in Zone Condition of trigger - fixed
- MP. Dedicated Server: slot spamming causes 100% CPU load and server unreachable - Fixed
DCS: F-16C Viper by Eagle Dynamics
- Added Velocity Search With Ranging (VSR) - Instruction video DCS: F-16C and F/A-18C Velocity Radar Modes Update (COMING SOON)
- Added MTR LO (71 knots) and HI (110 knots) function from CTRL (knots) page of FCR for radar AA modes
- Added Sinai IA Instant Action missions
- Fixed: Markpoint created from FCR GM has large offset from what is designated
- Fixed: Offset Aimpoint altitude is entered from DED with negative values
- Fixed: ASEC and DLZ persists in FCR after switching to NAV mode
- Fixed: TGP Mark point incorrect in weapon MAN mode
- Fixed: ACM 30x20 locking outside the HUD limits.
- Fixed: IAS incorrect on Marianas with very high head winds
- Fixed: Radar able to track targets that are terrain masked
- Updated BFM Instant Action Mission
DCS: F/A-18C Hornet by Eagle Dynamics
- Added Velocity Search (VS) - Instruction video DCS: F-16C and F/A-18C Velocity Radar Modes Update (COMING SOON)
- Added Sinai IA Missions
- Fixed: Enabling one-look raid removes target offboard information
- Fixed: Stuck B sweep on the edge of the DDI after locking on to the target
- Fixed: Slewing after Offset designation moves the WP symbol on the HSI
- Fixed: Extrapolated radar trackfiles continue to update the AIM-120 with the true position of the target
- Fixed: Precise coordinates discrepancy between F10 map and the cockpit
- Fixed: TWS won't show a trackfile until 6 raw hits (bricks) are detected
- Fixed: AZ/EL and RDR ATTK pages show info for jamming target
- Fixed: Offset symbol moves in SA page
- Fixed: SA page shows HAFUs ranked as 0, for trackfiles below rank 9
- Fixed: Stepping away from first track file takes two presses
- Fixed: Training mission carrier moves when it should be static
- Fixed: Airspeed in HUD on Marianas is doubled in very high head winds
- Fixed: Time on Target seems too fast when setting ground speed
- Fixed: Radar able to track targets that are terrain masked
- Updated Hornet BFM Instant Action missions
DCS: AH-64D by Eagle Dynamics
- Made it possible for AI to use IAT
- Added Sinai IA Instant Action missions
- Added Windshield wipers clear rain drops
- Added for AGM-114L new icon for ME
- Fixed: George manoeuvres are not predictable and almost deadly
- Fixed: LST switch in front cockpit moved to A in cold starts (auto-start and manual starts)
- Fixed: AGM-114L seem to fail to hit targets fired while aircraft is moving
- Fixed: APU desync between PLT and CPG
- Fixed: "George" will say "in range" when it is not
- Fixed: Player-CPG cannot launch AGM-114L after AGM-114K
- Fixed: George evaluate LT switch position when Player leaves CPG seat
- Fixed: Yaw limit after you don't launch AGM-114L at once
- Fixed: Constraint box fixed after last missile
- Fixed: George launched AGM-114L from 9km when in weapons free mode
- Fixed: AGM-114 typo in weapon label
- Fixed: FCR defaults to wrong mode in specific power on conditions
DCS: Mi-24P Hind by Eagle Dynamics
- Fixed: Radio desync in multicrew
- Fixed: R-863 radio does not turn on channel 11 on Pilot-Operator seat in multicrew
- Added: Quick Start missions for Sinai map
DCS: UH-1H Huey by Eagle Dynamics
- Fixed: Minigun animation is missing in MT
- Fixed: WIP Throttle control over FCU logic for new engine model. (Before helicopter would be able to takeoff on throttle idle)
- Fixed: WIP Fuel consumption tuning after new engine model implementation
DCS: Mi-8MTV2 Magnificent Eight by Eagle Dynamics
- Added: Quick Start missions for Sinai map
- Fixed: Crash caused by asymmetrical gunpods jettison
DCS: Supercarrier by Eagle Dynamics
- Fixed: MT - long range lineup light not visible
- Fixed: Deck markings not showing in mission editor MT
DCS: FW 190A-8 by Eagle Dynamics
- Pitot light indicator now works without ground power (pitot heating functions still have known issues)
- Fixed: Double bind for Start Switch
DCS: FW 190D-9 by Eagle Dynamics
- Fixed: Double bind for Start Switch
DCS AJS-37 Viggen by Heatblur Simulations
- NEW: Added over 100 user requested keybinds (with special thanks to Munkwolf et al.).
- Does not affect existing keybinds.
- RB-05 Overhaul:
- Fixed RB-05 only able to be steered with radar in A0.
- Fixed launched RB-05s automatically setting radar to A0 (without moving the switch).
- Fixed subsequent launches sending the first missile to Valhalla.
- Fixed steering commands being sent to the missile beyond 30s.
- Included several BK-90 fixes:
- Fixed STD switch erroneously affecting pattern setting.
- Inhibited display of BK-90 HUD symbology above 500m.
- Max distance release cue not showing correctly.
- Added U-22 Jammer Mode E (always transmits).
- Added non-tracer AKAN gunpod.
- Fixed Jammer warmup not being skipped during hotstart.
- Fixed U-22 (old) warning light not showing during warmup.
- Fixed X-TANK BRÄ light showing <50% RPM instead of <70%.
- Fixed airbrakes not auto-retracting with landing gear releasing.
- Added feature that allows airbrakes to be stopped in an intermediate position.
- Added “_(...)” to keybinds for l10n. Now keybinds are localizable.
DCS F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur Simulations
- NEW: Major Ground Handling and Suspension Overhaul Phase 2:
- Significant suspension and ground handling qualities update.
- Increased Brake Torque.
- Adjusted kneel actuator rate.
- Completely redone strut forces and dynamics.
- Adjusted kneel spring energy.
- Fixed aircraft spawning kneeled on carrier hot starts.
- All hot starts now spawn with the parking brake engaged.
- Adjusted default takeoff trim for carrier spawns.
- Fixed incorrect delay in ejection sequence.
- EIG brightness adjusted with ambient illumination.
DCS: JF-17 by Deka Ironwork Simulations
- Fixed: SMS supports for PL-12
- Added: Weapon Qualification missions
DCS: SA-342M Gazelle by Polychop Simulations
SA342 - Common to all- Updated external textures to PBR standard
- Added raindrops on canopy
- Interior lighting and reflections updated
- Flight model
- Entirely rewritten FM
- Overhauled engine and rotor behaviours
- Updated mass and payload mass parameters
- Many new behaviours added or reworked (ground effect, flapback/blowback, retreating blade stall, density altitude, ETL…)
- Engine surge effect from rapid collective movement added
- Force Feedback support added
- Removed ‘Easier Controls’ special option
- Removed ‘Rudder Trimmer’ special option (replaced with new trim options)
- New trim options for cyclic and pedal behaviour when using ‘Force Trim Interrupt’
- None - has no effect
- Instant - trim position instantly set to current cyclic/pedal position
- Fade In/Fade Out - trim position will move to current cyclic/pedal position over short time period (<1sec) (also applies to ‘Trimmer Reset’)
- Applied upon Recentering - trim position will apply instantly only when cyclic/pedal position is recentered
- Updated controls indicator
- Red marker shows control position
- Grey marker shows trim position
- Autopilot markers removed for further consideration
- Updated/added network animations
- Implemented IFF panel (limited functionality)
- Updated autopilot system
- Airspeed/Altitude hold mode removed for further consideration
- “Auto-collective” removed for further consideration
- Added light indicators for auto-hover (CSV) and heading-align (ALV) autopilot modes
- Autopilot master switch will not engage/will disengage if pitch, roll or yaw SAS disabled
- Added smoke display system
- Smoke launchers can be equipped in the rearm/refuel screen
- Smoke launchers have a new input to toggle on/off
- Collective can be hidden by clicking on base of collective
- Added tablet navigation aid
- Tablet can be disabled from mission editor
- Tablet provides map, heading, airspeed and groundspeed GPS information
- Updated slip ball to be less erratic
- Fuel warning light now flickers if below 80L
- Added new weapons:
- 2x/4x Mistral
- 2x/4x HOT3
- HMP400 gunpods (100, 200, 400)
- Selectable GIAT M621 20mm
- Replaced Viviane control panel with periscope control board
- Periscope provides two zoom levels
- Toggleable gyro stabilisation
- Selectable reticles for estimating distance
- Connected to ‘VIS’ mode on Artificial Horizon same as Viviane
- Pilot sight can be hidden by clicking on mounting of pilot sight
- AI now able to fire HOT3 missiles
- Added ground crew option to remove doors
- Added option to shoot multiple pylons if the weapon is from the same type
- Viviane camera code overhauled
- Viviane multicrew synchronisation improved
- AI now able to fire HOT3 missiles
- Removed playable version (now replaced by SA342L)
- Removed Custom Cockpit options
- Added special option to decouple minigun from head/camera view
- Added inputs for keyboard/joystick control of minigun
- Added inputs for mouse control of minigun
- Added clickables and inputs for minigun safety, sight powebrightness and IR laser
- Auto-hover (CVS and ALV modes) are work in progress and may not function reliably yet
- PBR overhaul is a work in progress. Most liveries will look too glossy until they have custom RoughMet textures applied. This will happen over the next few DCS World updates.
- Our in-house Mistral ATAM has been replaced by ED’s which is very susceptible to flares.
- Mistral ATAM tubes protective cap not yet animated
DCS Mirage F1 by Aerges
Short range IR missiles:- Fixed AIM-9J lock-on audio not being heard.
- Sidewinder missile will not perform SEAM (scan pattern) anymore as this mode was not implemented in the real F1.
- 'Cannon 600/Identification P' throttle button will now uncage Sidewinder missiles (except AIM-9B). If no target was detected at this moment, the seeker head will drift randomly following the background IR heat. The seeker will return to the boresight once the 'Cannon 600/Identification P' button is released. I.e. if a target is tracked, the button must be held pressed to keep the seeker on the target.
- AIM-9JULI launch delay was reduced to 0.4 seconds (AIM-9B/P/J still have 0.8 seconds).
- Magic 1 and 2 scan now is a 5 degrees wide rectangular pattern.
- Fixed Magic missile scan pattern. Sometimes the scan pattern size was excessively increased.
- Updated Magic missiles instantaneous seeker FOV. It is now 3.4 degrees wide.
- Wingtip missile energization switch now always spawns in ON position.
- Wingtip missile cooling time increased.
- Adjusted yaw damper response (both amplitude and frequency).
- Adjusted wake turbulence behaviour. Now the aircraft won’t be so much affected by turbulence in yaw.
- Fixed control stick slow jitter in some situations when AP was connected.
- Fixed autopilot roll issues that caused disconnection in MP (and in SP after a longer time).
- Fixed bug that impeded full alignment of the gyros if the Gyro mode switch is moved out of stop before the aircraft has AC power.
- Gyro failure overhaul:
- Added new gyroscope related failures.
- Fixed general gyroscopic central failure (it now works as described in the manual’s failures section).
- Changed CAP (heading) failure light logic to no longer depend on the attitude gyroscope state.
- Fixed missing decimals in loaded radio presets.
- Increased alternator overheating time.
- BARAX lights test logic will be always working now, disregarding the system test status.
- INS overhaul (first step):
- Improved alignment steps and precision in all modes.
- Accelerating during alignment now generates a malfunction in the INS and requires full realignment.
- Fixed ALCM mode.
- Corrected oxygen test logic to follow manual description. Now the needle moves from full to empty to full again until the test button is depressed.
- Fixed oxygen indication energization logic. Now, when pressing the OXY TEST button, the oxygen indicator will be energized by the emergency AC bus 1 instead of the main AC bus 2, thus allowing the oxygen level to be read with the engine off.
- Fixed Standby Horizon attitude reference symbol movement with keyboard inputs.
- Fixed initial position of the ejection seat clickspot before it is pressed for the first time.
- Fixed the size of white dots in the Autopilot control panel.
- Fixed circuit breaker label (C de GYRO circuit breaker was incorrectly called NAV).
- Improved BR-250 bomb texture.
- Fixed the spherical indicator, it now shows the correct pitch attitude.
- Fixed the standby horizon, it now shows the correct pitch attitude.
- Updated the Flight Manual.
- Updated the startup training mission: Highlighted the NWS high sensitivity button. Specified that the "I" key on the keyboard sets the throttle to idle.
- Added PHIMAT chaff pod to versions CT, CR, ED, BD, EQ, BQ. (Only visual for now).
- Added Stick Hide/Unhide keybind.
DCS: C-101 Aviojet by AvioDev
- AIM-9M launch delay was reduced to 0.4 seconds.
- Magic 1 and 2 scan now is a 5 degrees wide rectangular pattern.
- Fixed Magic missile scan pattern. Sometimes the scan pattern size was excessively increased.
- Updated Magic missiles instantaneous seeker FOV. It is now 3.4 degrees wide.
- Fixed missing decimals in loaded radio presets.
- Fixed startup training mission (EN, ES and CN). The aileron control test trigger should now work.
DCS: Flaming Cliffs by Eagle Dynamics
- Double pylons with B-8 rockets don't work on Su-27/33 - fixed
DCS: Black Shark 3 by Eagle Dynamics
- ME. Incorrect mass of payloads - fixed
- MP. 2011 version instead of 2022 when looking at other clients - fixed
- Rotor gearbox sounds updated
DCS: Combined Arms by Eagle Dynamics
- Fixed - Player can't use HE shells in the second stage if in the first stage set 0 HE shells.
- Fixed - "Zero-sight" mask in iso-view IR or NVG on MBT Abrams.
- Added scene of Spitfires factories in Hampshire
- Added scene with flags and warehouses from machinery at Heathrow Airfield
- Added the port of Le Treport
- Added two fishing boats
- Added fishing boat routes
- Added underground tunnels in Paris
- Added new tram routes in London
- Added wooden piers
- Improved radar tower scenes in England and France
- Improved port scenes for Portsmouth, Dunkirk, London
- Improved traffic of trains and cars
- Added earthworks at English airfields Kenley, Ford, Chailey, Needs Oar Point, West Malling, Gravesend
- Improved scenes of Orly, Saint-Andre-de-lEure, Amiens-Glisy, Carpiquet, Gravesend, Kenley airfields
- Improved tent and sandbag shelter scenes at Ford, Chailey, Gravesend, Kenley airfields
- Part of metal car bridges replaced by stone ones
- Improved range of visibility settings for city objects
- Improved life settings for objects
- Improved lighting of objects
- Destruction models are optimised
- Added steps on Tower Bridge, Mirabeau Bridge, Alexander III Bridge
- Fixed errors in the Chailey, Farnborough, Ford, Kenley, Beny-sur-Mer, Bazenville, Deux Jumeaux airfield scenes
- Fixed errors in taxiways and car parks at Chailey, Farnborough, Ford, Kenley, Lymington, Orly, Villacoublay, Saint-Andre-de-lEure, Creil, Cormeilles-en-Vexin, Carpiquet, Sainte-Laurent-sur-Mer
- Terrain errors on the French coast have been fixed
- Levelled terrain in the ports of Portsmouth, Dunkirk, London, Boulogne-sur-Mer
- Fixed errors in land textures near the Isle of Wight and on the coast of the landing zone
- Corrected collisions in Louvre Museum arches, military school in Paris, Luxembourg Palace, Tower, Victoria Station, Liverpool Street Station, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace
- Fixed errors at Cumberland and Newhaven Forts
- Fixed the hands on the clocks at Victoria Station, Big Ben and model churches
- Increased texture resolution for minimum settings
- Improved cliffs on the coast of France
- Added large size flags
Campaigns
The Enemy Within 3.0 Campaign by Baltic Dragon:General. Fixing typos, updates to briefings etc.
- Mission 01. Fixes to coordinates in subtitles. Removed unnecessary files from the mission.
- Mission 04. Added missing line for Pontiac. Updated on-screen messages so that player won't loose some of the comms.
- Mission 05. Removed duplicate briefing images. Updated flight plan (removed wrong WP1).
- Mission 06. Updated wrong kneeboard card with frequencies.
- Mission 07. Updated kneeboard and briefing images.
- Mission 09. Updated briefing images. Fixed issue with Overlord AI overstepping custom comms.
- Mission 11. Updated Player Group ID. Balancing of the difficulty for the infantry attack near the mosque.
- Mission 12. Fixed wrong VO for Lotus. Fixed overlapping comms for Raider.
- Mission 13. Fixed issue with missing debriefing. Minor typos fixed.
- Mission 15. Changed frequencies for some assets, so it is easier to manage the radios now.
- Mission 20. Updated mission date. Made some friendly units invisible so that they are not engaged by Russian SAMs.
- Documentation – typos fixed
- All missions – typos fixed
- All missions – planning charts included in in-game kneeboard
- All missions – sidenumbers changed to be more realistic
- Horizontal Update. Updated and fixed skins for the campaign
- Mission 01. Fixed problem with AI flights not taking off and carrier turning constantly
- Mission 08. Fixed issue with Red orbiting around the carrier after takeoff
- Mission 12. Added safeguard for AI engaging the SAM sites
- Adjusted ALL mission start/wait times - users can start aircraft quickestart mission quicker
- Mission 5 - Barrel bombs - improved gameplay, added audio for fox calls player and wingman, improved AI, landings, sequencing
- Mission 11 - Chemical Alley - added immortal mode, improved gameplay, Enemy defences reduced, AAA FX improved, timings for tanker fixed
- Other bugs/errors corrected
- Mission End on mission fails has now been removed for ALL missions
2023.06.08 16:51 lilsmutking [For Sale] Art Pepper, Atmosphere, Bob Marley, Byron Janis, Derek & Dominos, Horace Silver, Jack McDuff, Junior Mance, Kim So Hee, Les Baxter, Lonnie Smith, Me First & Gimme Gimmes, Miles Davis, Muscle Shoals Horns, Nilsson, Oscar Peterson, Paul Desmond, Ramones, Stan Getz, Vince Guaraldi, etc.
Hi everyone,
Shipping from California to US only. Did my best to price appropriately, but if something seems off, let's talk.
$5 unlimited shipping. $20 minimum to ship. Paypal Goods and Services only.
Grading is record/sleeve.
If interested, please comment and then send a message/chat. Would LOVE to trade. Trade list of wants is at the bottom.
Thanks for looking!
Art Pepper - Early Art VG+/VG+ - $15
Sleeve has corner cut on spine side and is a little dirt/ringwear on bottom and top which is a bit more visible with it being an off white color jacket. Most of the record plays quite well but there are a couple tics at the beginning of the second track on the fourth side. Happy to send pics.
Atmosphere - Seven's Travels NM/NM - $20 Played once.
Bob Marley - 20 Greatest Hits VG+/VG+ - $10
Byron Janis - Piano Concertos VG+/VG+ - $15
Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs VG+/STRONG VG $15
(Creasing to bottom of cover near spine. Initials in blue marker on bottom right of cover.)
Horace Silver - Song For My Father VG+/VG+ - $25 (With Obi)
Jack McDuff - Magnetic Feel VG+/VG+ - $15
Junior Mance Trio - That's Where It Is VG+/NM - $10 in shrink.
Kim So Hee - Pansori Korea's Epic Vocal Art Instrumental Music VG+/VG - $20 (name on label in pen)
Les Baxter and his Orchestra - The Primitive and the Passionate VG+/VG+ - $10
Lonnie Smith - Keep On Lovin' VG+/VG - $15 Sleeve has some significant creasing near top, most prominent on back, happy to send pics.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Take a Break NM/NM - $20 Played once, in shrink.
Miles Davis - Quiet Nights VG+/VG+ - $15 in shrink.
Not 100% sure this is the right Discogs listing, Runouts end with 1k on A side and 1AF on B side.
Muscle Shoals Horns - Doin' It To The Bone VG+/VG - $12
Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson STRONG VG/VG - $10
plays clean except some noise for first 45 seconds or so of Without You which is kind of annoying. Sleeve in pretty good shape but big ol Promo timing strip deal across bottom half of cover
Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train VG+/NM - $30 (RE6 on A RE3 on B with scratch outs) Borderline NM all around
Paul Desmond - Easy Living NM/NM $40 (In shrink, beautiful)
Ramones - Subterranean Jungle VG+/VG+ $25
(name written on labels, small price sticker on top right front of jacket.)
Ramones - Too Tough To Die VG+/VG+ - $30
(Name on label in pen, creasing and a little bit of sticker residue on cover.)
Rusty Bryant - Fire Eater NM/NM - $25
Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs - Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs - NM/NM - $10
Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto - VG+/NM - $35 in shrink.
Stan Getz / Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba STRONG VG/STRONG VG - $10
Various - A Motown Christmas VG+/VG+ - $30
Various - Funky Stuff: The Best of Funk Essentials Volume One VG+/STRONG VG - $12 (creasing on bottom right corner of sleeve)
Vince Guarald - Oh, Good Grief! VG+/NM - $25 (borderline NM on media, in shrink.)
ALL BELOW $3 EACH:
Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg
Bob James - Heads
Bread - The Best of Bread
Bread - The Best of Bread Volume Two
Bud Shank - Bud Shank and the Sax Section
Charlie Byrd - The Great Byrd
Charlie Byrd - Hollywood Byrd
Charlie Byrd - Sketches of Brazil
Cliff Richard - Best 20
Colin James Hay - Looking For Jack
The Crusaders - Unsung Heroes
Elton John - 17-11-70
Elton John - Blue Moves
Elton John - Rock of the Westies
Enoch Light and the Brass Menagerie - The Brass Menagerie 1973
Greg Kihn - Again
Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around with Jim
Johnny Hodges - The Eleventh Hour
Judy Collins - Recollections
Kenny G - Duotones
Les Baxter His Orchestra And Chorus - Voices In Rhythm
Loverboy - Get Lucky
Mark Colby - Serpentine Fire
Michael Stanley Band - Heartland
Mike Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day
Mystic Moods Orchestra - One Stormy Night
Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome
Rick Springfield - Tao
Rick Springfield - Beautiful Feelings
Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Rubinoos - Back to the drawing board
The Rubinoos - Party of Two
Tropea - Tropea VG+/VG+
Vangelis - Opera Sauvage
Vic Feldman - Mallets A Fore Thought G+/G
Windham Hill Records Sampler '82
Wings - London Town
LOOKING TO TRADE FOR AND/OR BUY THESE:
Charles Kynard - Woga
Donald Byrd - Kofi
Funk Inc. - Chicken Lickin'
Grateful Dead - Wake of the Flood
Harold Ousley - The Kid!
Horace Silver Quintet - Cape Verdean Blues
Ike Quebec - Bossa Nova Soul Samba
Keith Jarrett - The Survivor's Suite
Melvin Sparks - Akilah!
Neal Creque - Contrast!
O'Donel Levy - Simba
Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - Jungle Fire!
Teddy Edwards - Nothin' But The Truth!
Wavves - V
Yusef Lateef - Detroit
Primarily looking for Jazz/Funk type stuff, so if you have something along those lines let me know!
submitted by lilsmutking to VinylCollectors [link] [comments]
Shipping from California to US only. Did my best to price appropriately, but if something seems off, let's talk.
$5 unlimited shipping. $20 minimum to ship. Paypal Goods and Services only.
Grading is record/sleeve.
If interested, please comment and then send a message/chat. Would LOVE to trade. Trade list of wants is at the bottom.
Thanks for looking!
Art Pepper - Early Art VG+/VG+ - $15
Sleeve has corner cut on spine side and is a little dirt/ringwear on bottom and top which is a bit more visible with it being an off white color jacket. Most of the record plays quite well but there are a couple tics at the beginning of the second track on the fourth side. Happy to send pics.
Atmosphere - Seven's Travels NM/NM - $20 Played once.
Bob Marley - 20 Greatest Hits VG+/VG+ - $10
Byron Janis - Piano Concertos VG+/VG+ - $15
Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs VG+/STRONG VG $15
(Creasing to bottom of cover near spine. Initials in blue marker on bottom right of cover.)
Horace Silver - Song For My Father VG+/VG+ - $25 (With Obi)
Jack McDuff - Magnetic Feel VG+/VG+ - $15
Junior Mance Trio - That's Where It Is VG+/NM - $10 in shrink.
Kim So Hee - Pansori Korea's Epic Vocal Art Instrumental Music VG+/VG - $20 (name on label in pen)
Les Baxter and his Orchestra - The Primitive and the Passionate VG+/VG+ - $10
Lonnie Smith - Keep On Lovin' VG+/VG - $15 Sleeve has some significant creasing near top, most prominent on back, happy to send pics.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Take a Break NM/NM - $20 Played once, in shrink.
Miles Davis - Quiet Nights VG+/VG+ - $15 in shrink.
Not 100% sure this is the right Discogs listing, Runouts end with 1k on A side and 1AF on B side.
Muscle Shoals Horns - Doin' It To The Bone VG+/VG - $12
Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson STRONG VG/VG - $10
plays clean except some noise for first 45 seconds or so of Without You which is kind of annoying. Sleeve in pretty good shape but big ol Promo timing strip deal across bottom half of cover
Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train VG+/NM - $30 (RE6 on A RE3 on B with scratch outs) Borderline NM all around
Paul Desmond - Easy Living NM/NM $40 (In shrink, beautiful)
Ramones - Subterranean Jungle VG+/VG+ $25
(name written on labels, small price sticker on top right front of jacket.)
Ramones - Too Tough To Die VG+/VG+ - $30
(Name on label in pen, creasing and a little bit of sticker residue on cover.)
Rusty Bryant - Fire Eater NM/NM - $25
Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs - Sam Coffey and the Iron Lungs - NM/NM - $10
Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto - VG+/NM - $35 in shrink.
Stan Getz / Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba STRONG VG/STRONG VG - $10
Various - A Motown Christmas VG+/VG+ - $30
Various - Funky Stuff: The Best of Funk Essentials Volume One VG+/STRONG VG - $12 (creasing on bottom right corner of sleeve)
Vince Guarald - Oh, Good Grief! VG+/NM - $25 (borderline NM on media, in shrink.)
ALL BELOW $3 EACH:
Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg
Bob James - Heads
Bread - The Best of Bread
Bread - The Best of Bread Volume Two
Bud Shank - Bud Shank and the Sax Section
Charlie Byrd - The Great Byrd
Charlie Byrd - Hollywood Byrd
Charlie Byrd - Sketches of Brazil
Cliff Richard - Best 20
Colin James Hay - Looking For Jack
The Crusaders - Unsung Heroes
Elton John - 17-11-70
Elton John - Blue Moves
Elton John - Rock of the Westies
Enoch Light and the Brass Menagerie - The Brass Menagerie 1973
Greg Kihn - Again
Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around with Jim
Johnny Hodges - The Eleventh Hour
Judy Collins - Recollections
Kenny G - Duotones
Les Baxter His Orchestra And Chorus - Voices In Rhythm
Loverboy - Get Lucky
Mark Colby - Serpentine Fire
Michael Stanley Band - Heartland
Mike Rutherford - Smallcreep's Day
Mystic Moods Orchestra - One Stormy Night
Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome
Rick Springfield - Tao
Rick Springfield - Beautiful Feelings
Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Rubinoos - Back to the drawing board
The Rubinoos - Party of Two
Tropea - Tropea VG+/VG+
Vangelis - Opera Sauvage
Vic Feldman - Mallets A Fore Thought G+/G
Windham Hill Records Sampler '82
Wings - London Town
LOOKING TO TRADE FOR AND/OR BUY THESE:
Charles Kynard - Woga
Donald Byrd - Kofi
Funk Inc. - Chicken Lickin'
Grateful Dead - Wake of the Flood
Harold Ousley - The Kid!
Horace Silver Quintet - Cape Verdean Blues
Ike Quebec - Bossa Nova Soul Samba
Keith Jarrett - The Survivor's Suite
Melvin Sparks - Akilah!
Neal Creque - Contrast!
O'Donel Levy - Simba
Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - Jungle Fire!
Teddy Edwards - Nothin' But The Truth!
Wavves - V
Yusef Lateef - Detroit
Primarily looking for Jazz/Funk type stuff, so if you have something along those lines let me know!
2023.06.08 16:16 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.08 14:30 cookaboy TL 57 - SEELEJING YUANYANQINGBAILUSILVER WOLF
 | WTS EU/TL 57 - Eqilibrium lvl 4 submitted by cookaboy to StarRailTrades [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/s73hwkygfs4b1.jpg?width=345&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d7dbf71871d271bf50ce22e15b2a2768835e80a 📷Characters - Seele, Jing Yuan, Yanqing, Bailu,Silver WOLF, Natasha E6, Tingyun E4, Herta E5, Hook E4, Dan Heng E3, Sushang E1, Serval E2, Pela E1, Asta E4, March 7th E1, Trailblazer fire E5 - Physical E6, Sampo, Qingque 📷Main story fully complete. All side quest complete. Simulated Universe Fully close with all achievements and ability tree is full closed. Forgotten Hall is closed, Memory of Chaos now open. Total FTP account, there were no problems with in game purchasing. Account linked to my email. The email will be changed in the transaction. 📷Payment can be made trough Crypto Transaction trough middleman fee on the buyer. DM me here or discord LaMansh#5518 PRICE -
|
2023.06.08 12:30 FappidyDat [H] TF2 Keys & PayPal [W] Humble Bundle Games (Also Games From Past Bundles)
Notes:
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
IGS Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/ggsaik/fappidydats_igs_rep_page/
SteamTrades Rep Page (1000+):
https://www.steamtrades.com/use76561198097671494
GameTrade Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/GameTradeRep/comments/ggrz1y/fappidydats_gametrade_rep_page/?
SGSFlair Rep Page:
https://www.reddit.com/sgsflaicomments/ggag04/flair_profile_ufappidydat/
submitted by FappidyDat to indiegameswap [link] [comments]
- I am EXTREMELY busy, but I check my messages and DMs at least ONCE per day. Please be patient and wait at least 24 hours for my response if I don't get back to you immediately.
- I buy only in Unrevealed Key Link Format or Plain Steam Keys. No gift links.
- For PayPal, I am in the US region and I only send via G&S. Please note there will be PayPal fees (including international/conversion and purchasing fees) to consider.
- All games that you sell to me should ideally be REGION-FREE. Please ensure the games are not region-locked/bound to a specific country.
- You must be willing to fill a spreadsheet with steam keys.
I pay with the following:
TF2 & PayPal
| I BUY HB Games | with TF2 | with PayPal | Currently Active Humble Bundle? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20XX | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| 5D Chess With Multiverse Time Travel | 2.6 TF2 | $5.13 PP | - |
| 60 Parsecs! | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| 7 Billion Humans | 1.4 TF2 | $2.86 PP | - |
| 7 Days to Die | 1.1 TF2 | $2.16 PP | - |
| A Game of Thrones: The Board Game - Digital Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.72 PP | - |
| A Hat in Time | 5.1 TF2 | $10.08 PP | - |
| A Juggler's Tale | 1.5 TF2 | $2.9 PP | - |
| A Plague Tale: Innocence | 1.7 TF2 | $3.44 PP | - |
| ABZU | 2.1 TF2 | $4.23 PP | - |
| AMID EVIL | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| AO Tennis 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| APICO | 2.3 TF2 | $4.61 PP | - |
| Absolver | 1.9 TF2 | $3.84 PP | - |
| Aeterna Noctis | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Age of Empires Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $2.94 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders III Collection | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Deluxe Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Age of Wonders: Planetfall | 1.1 TF2 | $2.28 PP | - |
| Airport CEO | 3.3 TF2 | $6.59 PP | - |
| Alan Wake Collector's Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Alan Wake's American Nightmare | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| Aliens: Colonial Marines Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| Aliens: Fireteam Elite | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| Alina of the Arena | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Amnesia: The Dark Descent | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| Among Us | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PP | - |
| Ancestors Legacy | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey | 2.4 TF2 | $4.79 PP | - |
| Aragami | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Arizona Sunshine | 2.1 TF2 | $4.19 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Apex Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.8 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Contact Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.86 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Jets | 1.1 TF2 | $2.1 PP | - |
| Arma 3 Marksmen | 0.9 TF2 | $1.72 PP | - |
| Arma 3 | 2.0 TF2 | $3.89 PP | - |
| Assetto Corsa Competizione | 3.1 TF2 | $6.1 PP | - |
| Assetto Corsa Ultimate Edition | 6.8 TF2 | $13.53 PP | - |
| Automobilista 2 | 9.4 TF2 | $18.68 PP | - |
| BATTLETECH - Mercenary Collection | 3.8 TF2 | $7.55 PP | - |
| BIOMUTANT | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| BROFORCE | 1.1 TF2 | $2.17 PP | - |
| Baba Is You | 1.5 TF2 | $3.06 PP | - |
| Back 4 Blood | 2.8 TF2 | $5.49 PP | - |
| Bad North: Jotunn Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $3.07 PP | - |
| Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Bang-On Balls: Chronicles | 3.1 TF2 | $6.12 PP | - |
| Banished | 2.2 TF2 | $4.29 PP | - |
| Barotrauma | 7.1 TF2 | $14.14 PP | - |
| Bastion | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PP | - |
| Batman - The Telltale Series | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PP | - |
| Batman Arkham Collection | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| Batman: Arkham Knight | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series | 1.4 TF2 | $2.72 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Knight Premium Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.53 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham Origins | 0.9 TF2 | $1.75 PP | - |
| Batman™: Arkham VR | 0.7 TF2 | $1.47 PP | - |
| Battle Chasers: Nightwar | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II | 1.8 TF2 | $3.51 PP | - |
| Battlefleet Gothic: Armada | 0.8 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Battlezone Gold Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.25 PP | - |
| Besiege | 1.5 TF2 | $2.89 PP | - |
| Beyond Blue | 1.6 TF2 | $3.17 PP | - |
| Beyond Two Souls | 1.8 TF2 | $3.68 PP | - |
| BioShock Collection | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| BioShock Infinite | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| BioShock Remastered | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| Bioshock Infinite: Season Pass | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Blade of Darkness | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Blair Witch | 1.1 TF2 | $2.27 PP | - |
| Blasphemous | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Blood Bowl 2 - Legendary Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Blood: Fresh Supply | 0.6 TF2 | $1.28 PP | - |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Boomerang Fu | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| Borderlands 2 VR | 4.6 TF2 | $9.16 PP | - |
| Borderlands 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3 Super Deluxe Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.85 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.63 PP | - |
| Borderlands 3: Director's Cut | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PP | - |
| Borderlands: The Handsome Collection | 3.3 TF2 | $6.5 PP | - |
| Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Brutal Legend | 1.0 TF2 | $2.03 PP | - |
| Bus Simulator 18 | 2.0 TF2 | $4.07 PP | - |
| CHUCHEL Cherry Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Call of Cthulhu | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PP | - |
| Call of Duty: WWII | 14.7 TF2 | $29.16 PP | - |
| Call of Juarez: Gunslinger | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| Call to Arms - Gates of Hell: Ostfront | 9.5 TF2 | $18.99 PP | - |
| Car Mechanic Simulator 2018 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.75 PP | - |
| Carcassonne - Tiles & Tactics | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| Carto | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Celeste | Pixel Pride Bundle | ||
| Chess Ultra | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| Children of Morta | 0.6 TF2 | $1.23 PP | - |
| Chivalry 2 | 3.4 TF2 | $6.82 PP | - |
| Chivalry: Medieval Warfare | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Chrono Ark | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Cities: Skylines Deluxe Edition | 7.1 TF2 | $14.2 PP | - |
| Clone Drone in the Danger Zone | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PP | - |
| Cloudpunk | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Code Vein | 1.7 TF2 | $3.35 PP | - |
| Coffee Talk | 2.5 TF2 | $4.93 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies | 0.8 TF2 | $1.55 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes | 1.8 TF2 | $3.62 PP | - |
| Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts | 0.7 TF2 | $1.49 PP | - |
| Conan Exiles | 1.9 TF2 | $3.88 PP | - |
| Construction Simulator 2015 | 1.2 TF2 | $2.44 PP | - |
| Contagion | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Control Ultimate Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.86 PP | - |
| Creed: Rise to Glory™ | 2.2 TF2 | $4.37 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings II: Imperial Collection | 9.8 TF2 | $19.52 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings II: Royal Collection | 6.4 TF2 | $12.82 PP | - |
| Crusader Kings III | 7.1 TF2 | $14.2 PP | - |
| Crysis® 2 Maximum Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.56 PP | - |
| Cultist Simulator Anthology Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.75 PP | - |
| Cultist Simulator | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Curse of the Dead Gods | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| DARK SOULS™ III Deluxe Edition | 19.7 TF2 | $39.14 PP | - |
| DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT | 3.0 TF2 | $5.89 PP | - |
| DEATHLOOP | 2.7 TF2 | $5.33 PP | - |
| DIRT 5 | 4.2 TF2 | $8.36 PP | - |
| DMC - Devil May Cry | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ - Ultimate Edition | 15.1 TF2 | $30.14 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| DRAGONBALL XENOVERSE Bundle Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| DRIFT21 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Dark Deity | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin | 7.8 TF2 | $15.53 PP | - |
| Dark Souls III | 16.6 TF2 | $33.01 PP | - |
| Darkest Dungeon | 0.6 TF2 | $1.17 PP | - |
| Darksiders Genesis | 1.3 TF2 | $2.66 PP | - |
| Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.06 PP | - |
| Darksiders III | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Darkwood | 0.5 TF2 | $1.07 PP | - |
| Day of the Tentacle Remastered | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| DayZ | 8.1 TF2 | $16.2 PP | - |
| Daymare: 1998 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Dead Estate | 1.4 TF2 | $2.85 PP | - |
| Dead Island - Definitive Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.61 PP | - |
| Dead Island Definitive Collection | 1.5 TF2 | $2.96 PP | - |
| Dead Island Riptide - Definitive Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 2: Off the Record | 1.2 TF2 | $2.44 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition | 1.7 TF2 | $3.29 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 4 Frank’s Big Package | 2.5 TF2 | $4.96 PP | - |
| Dead Rising 4 | 1.0 TF2 | $2.04 PP | - |
| Dead Rising | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| Dead Rising® 2 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Death's Gambit | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| Deep Rock Galactic | 3.3 TF2 | $6.58 PP | - |
| Descenders | 0.7 TF2 | $1.44 PP | - |
| Desperados III | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Destiny 2: Beyond Light | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Destroy All Humans | 1.0 TF2 | $2.06 PP | - |
| Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut | 0.9 TF2 | $1.8 PP | - |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PP | - |
| Devil May Cry HD Collection | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Devil May Cry® 4 Special Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.84 PP | - |
| DiRT Rally 2.0 | 5.0 TF2 | $9.99 PP | - |
| Dicey Dungeons | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Dinosaur Fossil Hunter | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Distance | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Distant Worlds: Universe | 0.6 TF2 | $1.27 PP | - |
| Do Not Feed the Monkeys | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PP | - |
| Doom Eternal | 2.6 TF2 | $5.19 PP | - |
| Door Kickers | 1.7 TF2 | $3.33 PP | - |
| Door Kickers: Action Squad | 0.4 TF2 | $0.74 PP | - |
| Dorfromantik | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| Dragon Ball FighterZ | 2.2 TF2 | $4.34 PP | - |
| Dragons Dogma - Dark Arisen | 1.0 TF2 | $2.07 PP | - |
| Drake Hollow | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Drone Swarm | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Dungeon Defenders | 1.1 TF2 | $2.24 PP | - |
| Dungeon Defenders: Awakened | 2.6 TF2 | $5.21 PP | - |
| Dungreed | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Dusk | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair | 3.1 TF2 | $6.22 PP | - |
| ELEX | 1.1 TF2 | $2.13 PP | - |
| EVERSPACE™ | 1.8 TF2 | $3.57 PP | - |
| Elite: Dangerous | 1.4 TF2 | $2.75 PP | - |
| Empire of Sin | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Endzone - A World Apart | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| Euro Truck Simulator 2 | 1.7 TF2 | $3.37 PP | - |
| Exanima | 2.6 TF2 | $5.17 PP | - |
| FTL: Faster Than Light | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Fable Anniversary | 4.8 TF2 | $9.48 PP | - |
| Fallout 76 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.32 PP | - |
| Fantasy General II | 0.6 TF2 | $1.23 PP | - |
| Farming Simulator 17 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Fight'N Rage | 0.7 TF2 | $1.34 PP | - |
| Fights in Tight Spaces | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| Firefighting Simulator - The Squad | 4.7 TF2 | $9.43 PP | - |
| First Class Trouble | 0.5 TF2 | $1.07 PP | - |
| For The King | 0.9 TF2 | $1.84 PP | - |
| Forager | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Forts | 2.9 TF2 | $5.86 PP | - |
| Friday the 13th: The Game | 2.9 TF2 | $5.81 PP | - |
| Frostpunk | 1.0 TF2 | $2.03 PP | - |
| Full Metal Furies | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PP | - |
| Furi | 1.3 TF2 | $2.54 PP | - |
| GRID | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| GRIME | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| GRIS | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R | 0.4 TF2 | $0.82 PP | - |
| Gang Beasts | 3.0 TF2 | $5.94 PP | - |
| Garden Paws | 1.0 TF2 | $2.0 PP | - |
| Gas Station Simulator | 3.1 TF2 | $6.15 PP | - |
| Gears 5 | 10.8 TF2 | $21.52 PP | - |
| Gears Tactics | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PP | - |
| Generation Zero® | 0.8 TF2 | $1.55 PP | - |
| Ghostwire Tokyo | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| Goat Simulator | 0.4 TF2 | $0.89 PP | - |
| Godlike Burger | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Golf With Your Friends | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Gordian Quest | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| Gotham Knights | 5.4 TF2 | $10.84 PP | - |
| GreedFall | 0.8 TF2 | $1.52 PP | - |
| Gremlins, Inc. | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| Grim Dawn | 4.8 TF2 | $9.54 PP | - |
| Grim Fandango Remastered | 0.6 TF2 | $1.1 PP | - |
| Guacamelee! 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.18 PP | - |
| HITMAN™2 Gold Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $5.88 PP | - |
| HIVESWAP: Act 2 | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PP | - |
| HROT | 4.1 TF2 | $8.22 PP | - |
| Hard Bullet | 1.2 TF2 | $2.35 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus | 1.8 TF2 | $3.57 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Cadet Edition | 5.9 TF2 | $11.67 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PP | - |
| Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger | 1.9 TF2 | $3.88 PP | - |
| Heave Ho | 0.5 TF2 | $1.09 PP | - |
| Heavy Rain | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Hell Let Loose | 6.2 TF2 | $12.38 PP | - |
| Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice | 1.4 TF2 | $2.86 PP | - |
| Hello, Neighbor! | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| Hellpoint | 0.4 TF2 | $0.73 PP | - |
| Heroes of Hammerwatch | 0.8 TF2 | $1.56 PP | - |
| Hitman Absolution | 0.4 TF2 | $0.77 PP | - |
| Hitman Game of the Year Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Hollow Knight | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Homefront: The Revolution | 0.8 TF2 | $1.65 PP | - |
| Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Digital Special Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.22 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number | 0.6 TF2 | $1.14 PP | - |
| Hotline Miami | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| House Flipper | 3.1 TF2 | $6.08 PP | - |
| Human: Fall Flat | 1.2 TF2 | $2.29 PP | - |
| HuniePop | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Huntdown | 1.7 TF2 | $3.3 PP | - |
| Hurtworld | 2.2 TF2 | $4.4 PP | - |
| Hyper Light Drifter | 1.6 TF2 | $3.09 PP | - |
| Hypnospace Outlaw | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| I Am Fish | 0.4 TF2 | $0.72 PP | - |
| I Expect You To Die | 1.3 TF2 | $2.67 PP | - |
| I-NFECTED | 4.0 TF2 | $8.02 PP | - |
| INSIDE | 1.6 TF2 | $3.14 PP | - |
| INSURGENCY | 2.2 TF2 | $4.46 PP | - |
| Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.73 PP | - |
| Imperator: Rome Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| Imperator: Rome | 1.1 TF2 | $2.28 PP | - |
| In Sound Mind | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Injustice 2 Legendary Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.21 PP | - |
| Injustice 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Injustice: Gods Among Us - Ultimate Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.29 PP | - |
| Into the Breach | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Into the Radius VR | 3.3 TF2 | $6.6 PP | - |
| Ion Fury | 1.9 TF2 | $3.74 PP | - |
| Iron Harvest | 0.9 TF2 | $1.83 PP | - |
| Jalopy | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| Job Simulator | 6.1 TF2 | $12.21 PP | - |
| Jurassic World Evolution 2 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.4 PP | - |
| Jurassic World Evolution | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Just Cause 2 | 0.4 TF2 | $0.87 PP | - |
| Just Cause 3 XXL Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Just Cause 4: Complete Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.82 PP | - |
| KartKraft | 4.2 TF2 | $8.39 PP | - |
| Katamari Damacy REROLL | 1.0 TF2 | $2.08 PP | - |
| Katana ZERO | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PP | - |
| Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes | 2.7 TF2 | $5.42 PP | - |
| Kerbal Space Program | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Killer Instinct | 8.7 TF2 | $17.3 PP | - |
| Killing Floor 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.38 PP | - |
| Killing Floor | 0.8 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance | 1.6 TF2 | $3.09 PP | - |
| Kingdom: Two Crowns | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Kitaria Fables | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PP | - |
| LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Premium Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| LEGO Batman Trilogy | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.2 PP | - |
| LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| LEGO® City Undercover | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains Deluxe Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.77 PP | - |
| LEGO® DC Super-Villains | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PP | - |
| LEGO® Jurassic World™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 Deluxe Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.15 PP | - |
| LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens - Deluxe Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| LEGO® Worlds | 1.0 TF2 | $1.96 PP | - |
| LIMBO | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Labyrinth City: Pierre the Maze Detective | 0.7 TF2 | $1.45 PP | - |
| Labyrinthine | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| Lake | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Last Oasis | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Layers of Fear 2 | 6.1 TF2 | $12.22 PP | - |
| Layers of Fear | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Legion TD 2 | 2.3 TF2 | $4.56 PP | - |
| Len's Island | 4.1 TF2 | $8.16 PP | - |
| Lethal League Blaze | 2.4 TF2 | $4.78 PP | - |
| Lethal League | 1.5 TF2 | $2.97 PP | - |
| Library Of Ruina | 3.2 TF2 | $6.36 PP | - |
| Life is Feudal: Your Own | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Life is Strange 2 Complete Season | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Little Misfortune | 2.2 TF2 | $4.42 PP | - |
| Little Nightmares Complete Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.09 PP | - |
| Little Nightmares | 0.9 TF2 | $1.79 PP | - |
| Lobotomy Corporation Monster Management Simulation | 5.0 TF2 | $9.88 PP | - |
| Loot River | 2.9 TF2 | $5.76 PP | - |
| Lords of the Fallen Game of the Year Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.61 PP | - |
| Lost Ember | 1.4 TF2 | $2.73 PP | - |
| Luck be a Landlord | Luck of the Draw: Roguelike Deckbuilders Bundle | ||
| METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN | 1.2 TF2 | $2.41 PP | - |
| METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience | 2.0 TF2 | $3.99 PP | - |
| MORTAL KOMBAT 11 | 1.5 TF2 | $3.07 PP | - |
| MX vs ATV Reflex | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Mad Max | 1.1 TF2 | $2.22 PP | - |
| Mafia II: Definitive Edition | 3.0 TF2 | $5.99 PP | - |
| Mafia III: Definitive Edition | 2.1 TF2 | $4.23 PP | - |
| Mafia: Definitive Edition | 2.2 TF2 | $4.3 PP | - |
| Magicka 2 - Deluxe Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Magicka 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Magicka | 0.4 TF2 | $0.71 PP | - |
| Maneater | 0.8 TF2 | $1.6 PP | - |
| Mars Horizon | 0.8 TF2 | $1.52 PP | - |
| Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite - Deluxe Edition | 2.8 TF2 | $5.56 PP | - |
| Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition | 6.1 TF2 | $12.21 PP | - |
| Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Max Payne | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries | 2.5 TF2 | $4.97 PP | - |
| Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Mega Man Legacy Collection | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 - Deluxe Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.67 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 War Chest Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.64 PP | - |
| Men of War: Assault Squad 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.64 PP | - |
| Messenger | 0.9 TF2 | $1.72 PP | - |
| Metro 2033 Redux | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Metro Exodus | 1.7 TF2 | $3.46 PP | - |
| Metro Redux Bundle | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| Metro: Last Light Redux | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Middleearth Shadow of War Definitive Edition | 1.2 TF2 | $2.34 PP | - |
| Mirror's Edge | 3.8 TF2 | $7.56 PP | - |
| Miscreated | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Monster Hunter: World | 3.4 TF2 | $6.8 PP | - |
| Monster Sanctuary | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Monster Train | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| Moonlighter | 0.4 TF2 | $0.81 PP | - |
| Moons of Madness | 1.7 TF2 | $3.43 PP | - |
| Mordhau | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Mortal Kombat X | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Mortal Shell | 1.4 TF2 | $2.72 PP | - |
| Motorcycle Mechanic Simulator 2021 | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Motorsport Manager | 1.4 TF2 | $2.73 PP | - |
| Move or Die | 0.7 TF2 | $1.44 PP | - |
| Moving Out | 1.0 TF2 | $1.9 PP | - |
| Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.28 PP | - |
| Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden | 1.8 TF2 | $3.53 PP | - |
| My Friend Pedro | 0.9 TF2 | $1.76 PP | - |
| My Time At Portia | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PP | - |
| NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja STORM 4 Road to Boruto | 3.5 TF2 | $6.89 PP | - |
| NASCAR Heat 5 - Ultimate Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 | 2.0 TF2 | $3.9 PP | - |
| Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker - Deluxe Edition | 1.6 TF2 | $3.1 PP | - |
| Naruto to Boruto Shinobi Striker | 0.4 TF2 | $0.82 PP | - |
| Necromunda: Hired Gun | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PP | - |
| Neon Abyss | 0.5 TF2 | $0.94 PP | - |
| Neverwinter Nights: Complete Adventures | 3.6 TF2 | $7.26 PP | - |
| Nine Parchments | 2.1 TF2 | $4.22 PP | - |
| No Straight Roads: Encore Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.63 PP | - |
| No Time to Relax | 3.7 TF2 | $7.29 PP | - |
| Northgard | 1.2 TF2 | $2.38 PP | - |
| Not For Broadcast | 0.6 TF2 | $1.28 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE BURNING BLOOD | 0.7 TF2 | $1.44 PP | - |
| ONE PIECE PIRATE WARRIORS 3 Gold Edition | 1.1 TF2 | $2.12 PP | - |
| One Step From Eden | 1.0 TF2 | $1.98 PP | - |
| Opus Magnum | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Orcs Must Die! 3 | 1.9 TF2 | $3.81 PP | - |
| Outlast 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.61 PP | - |
| Outward | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Overcooked | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Overcooked! 2 | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Overgrowth | 0.8 TF2 | $1.54 PP | - |
| PC Building Simulator | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PP | - |
| Paint the Town Red | 3.6 TF2 | $7.1 PP | - |
| Parkitect | 6.5 TF2 | $12.85 PP | - |
| Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Enhanced Plus Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.24 PP | - |
| Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous | 1.4 TF2 | $2.79 PP | - |
| Pathologic 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.03 PP | - |
| Pathologic Classic HD | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Per Aspera | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Pikuniku | 0.7 TF2 | $1.48 PP | - |
| Pillars of Eternity Definitive Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.87 PP | - |
| Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Pistol Whip | 6.1 TF2 | $12.21 PP | - |
| Plague Inc: Evolved | 1.6 TF2 | $3.2 PP | - |
| Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Planet Coaster | 1.8 TF2 | $3.63 PP | - |
| Planet Zoo | 2.1 TF2 | $4.17 PP | - |
| Planetary Annihilation: TITANS | 7.1 TF2 | $14.13 PP | - |
| Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid | 2.7 TF2 | $5.42 PP | - |
| PowerBeatsVR | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PP | - |
| PowerSlave Exhumed | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| Praey for the Gods | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Prehistoric Kingdom | 1.3 TF2 | $2.51 PP | - |
| Prison Architect | 0.4 TF2 | $0.88 PP | - |
| Pro Cycling Manager 2019 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.58 PP | - |
| Project Hospital | 2.4 TF2 | $4.72 PP | - |
| Project Wingman | 1.6 TF2 | $3.25 PP | - |
| Project Winter | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PP | - |
| Propnight | 0.7 TF2 | $1.37 PP | - |
| Pumpkin Jack | 0.4 TF2 | $0.83 PP | - |
| Quantum Break | 2.6 TF2 | $5.14 PP | - |
| RESIDENT EVIL 3 | 2.4 TF2 | $4.76 PP | - |
| RUGBY 20 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| RUINER | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PP | - |
| RWBY: Grimm Eclipse | 3.7 TF2 | $7.42 PP | - |
| Ragnaröck | 3.4 TF2 | $6.84 PP | - |
| Railway Empire | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Rain World | Must-Play Metroidvanias Bundle | ||
| Raw Data | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Re:Legend | 1.0 TF2 | $1.94 PP | - |
| Red Matter | 4.5 TF2 | $8.86 PP | - |
| Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition | Humble Choice (Jun 2023) | ||
| Resident Evil / biohazard HD REMASTER | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 0 / biohazard 0 HD Remaster | 1.2 TF2 | $2.31 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 5 GOLD Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $3.0 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 5 | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Resident Evil 6 | 1.4 TF2 | $2.78 PP | - |
| Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition | 2.4 TF2 | $4.84 PP | - |
| Resident Evil: Revelations | 1.0 TF2 | $1.93 PP | - |
| Retro Machina | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| Risen 3 - Complete Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $2.02 PP | - |
| Risen | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Rising Storm 2: Vietnam | 0.7 TF2 | $1.33 PP | - |
| River City Girls | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PP | - |
| Roboquest | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| Rollercoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack | 1.6 TF2 | $3.16 PP | - |
| Rubber Bandits | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Ryse: Son of Rome | 1.7 TF2 | $3.32 PP | - |
| SCP: Pandemic | 2.4 TF2 | $4.85 PP | - |
| SCUM | 3.4 TF2 | $6.86 PP | - |
| SOMA | 3.3 TF2 | $6.51 PP | - |
| SONG OF HORROR Complete Edition | 1.0 TF2 | $1.92 PP | - |
| STAR WARS® THE FORCE UNLEASHED II | 0.8 TF2 | $1.69 PP | - |
| STAR WARS®: Knights of the Old Republic™ II - The Sith Lords™ | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| STAR WARS™: Squadrons | 1.6 TF2 | $3.14 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT VR | 2.2 TF2 | $4.46 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE | 0.5 TF2 | $0.98 PP | - |
| Saint's Row The Third Remastered | 2.4 TF2 | $4.81 PP | - |
| Saints Row 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Saints Row IV Game of the Century Edition | 1.3 TF2 | $2.6 PP | - |
| Saints Row IV | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Saints Row the Third - The Full Package | 1.0 TF2 | $1.91 PP | - |
| Saints Row: The Third | 0.7 TF2 | $1.46 PP | - |
| Salt and Sanctuary | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Sanctum 2 | 0.5 TF2 | $1.05 PP | - |
| Satisfactory | 6.8 TF2 | $13.49 PP | - |
| Scarlet Nexus | 2.9 TF2 | $5.75 PP | - |
| Scribblenauts Unlimited | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Secret Neighbor | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.57 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 3: BFE | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Serious Sam 4 | 4.7 TF2 | $9.3 PP | - |
| Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem | 2.2 TF2 | $4.47 PP | - |
| Severed Steel | 1.7 TF2 | $3.46 PP | - |
| Shadow Man Remastered | 1.1 TF2 | $2.11 PP | - |
| Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun | 0.4 TF2 | $0.85 PP | - |
| Shadow Warrior 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 3.1 TF2 | $6.15 PP | - |
| Shenmue 3 | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Shenmue I & II | 1.3 TF2 | $2.55 PP | - |
| Shining Resonance Refrain | 0.4 TF2 | $0.81 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization V | 0.6 TF2 | $1.25 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI : Platinum Edition | 3.1 TF2 | $6.22 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization VI | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| Sid Meier's Civilization® V: The Complete Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.71 PP | - |
| Sid Meiers Civilization IV: The Complete Edition | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| Siege of Centauri | 0.6 TF2 | $1.15 PP | - |
| SimCasino | 1.3 TF2 | $2.54 PP | - |
| SimplePlanes | 2.0 TF2 | $3.89 PP | - |
| Skullgirls 2nd Encore | 1.8 TF2 | $3.62 PP | - |
| Slap City | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Slay the Spire | 3.1 TF2 | $6.22 PP | - |
| Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.81 PP | - |
| Slime Rancher | 1.9 TF2 | $3.8 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite 3 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.87 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite 4 | 1.4 TF2 | $2.69 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite V2 Remastered | 1.4 TF2 | $2.86 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite V2 | 1.0 TF2 | $2.0 PP | - |
| Sniper Elite | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts | 0.9 TF2 | $1.85 PP | - |
| Sonic Adventure DX | 0.7 TF2 | $1.39 PP | - |
| Sonic Adventure 2 | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Sonic Mania | 1.5 TF2 | $3.06 PP | - |
| Soul Calibur VI | 1.6 TF2 | $3.2 PP | - |
| Source of Madness | 0.6 TF2 | $1.12 PP | - |
| Space Engineers | 2.6 TF2 | $5.24 PP | - |
| Space Haven | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Spec Ops: The Line | 0.9 TF2 | $1.79 PP | - |
| SpeedRunners | 0.5 TF2 | $1.02 PP | - |
| Spelunky | 1.1 TF2 | $2.22 PP | - |
| Spirit Of The Island | 1.4 TF2 | $2.88 PP | - |
| SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated | 1.1 TF2 | $2.13 PP | - |
| Spyro™ Reignited Trilogy | 4.8 TF2 | $9.55 PP | - |
| Star Renegades | 2.9 TF2 | $5.82 PP | - |
| Star Trek: Bridge Crew | 4.3 TF2 | $8.55 PP | - |
| Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Classic, 2005) | 0.4 TF2 | $0.84 PP | - |
| Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| Star Wars® Empire at War™: Gold Pack | 1.1 TF2 | $2.15 PP | - |
| Star Wars®: Jedi Knight®: Jedi Academy | 0.4 TF2 | $0.73 PP | - |
| Starbound | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PP | - |
| State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition | 3.1 TF2 | $6.21 PP | - |
| Staxel | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech | 0.5 TF2 | $1.06 PP | - |
| Steel Division: Normandy 44 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.36 PP | - |
| Stellaris Galaxy Edition | 4.8 TF2 | $9.61 PP | - |
| Stellaris | 4.1 TF2 | $8.07 PP | - |
| Stellaris: Lithoids Species Pack | 1.0 TF2 | $1.95 PP | - |
| Stick Fight: The Game | 0.6 TF2 | $1.27 PP | - |
| Strange Brigade | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| Strategic Command WWII: World at War | 2.1 TF2 | $4.21 PP | - |
| Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection | 2.4 TF2 | $4.77 PP | - |
| Stronghold 2: Steam Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.73 PP | - |
| Stronghold Crusader 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.89 PP | - |
| Stronghold Crusader HD | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Stronghold Legends: Steam Edition | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Styx: Shards Of Darkness | 0.9 TF2 | $1.74 PP | - |
| Subnautica | 3.5 TF2 | $7.0 PP | - |
| Summer in Mara | 0.5 TF2 | $1.04 PP | - |
| Sunless Sea | 0.9 TF2 | $1.85 PP | - |
| Sunless Skies | 1.1 TF2 | $2.18 PP | - |
| Sunset Overdrive | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Super Meat Boy | 0.5 TF2 | $1.07 PP | - |
| Superliminal | 1.9 TF2 | $3.88 PP | - |
| Supraland Six Inches Under | 1.1 TF2 | $2.23 PP | - |
| Supreme Commander 2 | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Surgeon Simulator: Experience Reality | 1.7 TF2 | $3.44 PP | - |
| Survive the Nights | 0.8 TF2 | $1.63 PP | - |
| Surviving the Aftermath | 0.7 TF2 | $1.4 PP | - |
| Sword Art Online Fatal Bullet - Complete Edition | 3.2 TF2 | $6.32 PP | - |
| Sword Art Online Hollow Realization Deluxe Edition | 1.5 TF2 | $2.97 PP | - |
| Syberia: The World Before | 1.1 TF2 | $2.25 PP | - |
| Synth Riders | 3.5 TF2 | $6.87 PP | - |
| TEKKEN 7 | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| TT Isle of Man Ride on the Edge 2 | 1.7 TF2 | $3.38 PP | - |
| Tales from the Borderlands | 3.8 TF2 | $7.49 PP | - |
| Tales of Berseria | 1.1 TF2 | $2.09 PP | - |
| Talisman: Digital Edition | 0.4 TF2 | $0.87 PP | - |
| Tank Mechanic Simulator | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| Telltale Batman Shadows Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.83 PP | - |
| Terraforming Mars | 0.6 TF2 | $1.28 PP | - |
| Terraria | 2.2 TF2 | $4.31 PP | - |
| The Ascent | 1.1 TF2 | $2.1 PP | - |
| The Battle of Polytopia | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| The Beast Inside | 0.4 TF2 | $0.76 PP | - |
| The Blackout Club | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope | 2.1 TF2 | $4.21 PP | - |
| The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan | 2.2 TF2 | $4.37 PP | - |
| The Darkness II | 0.5 TF2 | $1.09 PP | - |
| The Dungeon Of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet Of Chaos | 0.8 TF2 | $1.5 PP | - |
| The Escapists 2 | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PP | - |
| The Escapists | 0.5 TF2 | $1.08 PP | - |
| The Henry Stickmin Collection | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Final Cut | 1.3 TF2 | $2.64 PP | - |
| The Intruder | 2.1 TF2 | $4.23 PP | - |
| The Jackbox Party Pack 2 | 2.0 TF2 | $3.96 PP | - |
| The Jackbox Party Pack 3 | 2.8 TF2 | $5.62 PP | - |
| The Jackbox Party Pack 4 | 2.0 TF2 | $4.07 PP | - |
| The Jackbox Party Pack 5 | 3.0 TF2 | $6.06 PP | - |
| The Jackbox Party Pack | 1.1 TF2 | $2.14 PP | - |
| The LEGO Movie 2 Videogame | 0.4 TF2 | $0.79 PP | - |
| The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky | 1.6 TF2 | $3.23 PP | - |
| The Long Dark | 2.6 TF2 | $5.21 PP | - |
| The Long Dark: Survival Edition | 0.5 TF2 | $0.9 PP | - |
| The Mortuary Assistant | 2.4 TF2 | $4.77 PP | - |
| The Red Solstice 2: Survivors | 0.4 TF2 | $0.78 PP | - |
| The Surge 2 | 0.9 TF2 | $1.78 PP | - |
| The Survivalists | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| The Talos Principle | 1.5 TF2 | $2.97 PP | - |
| The Walking Dead: The Final Season | 0.7 TF2 | $1.43 PP | - |
| The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series | 2.4 TF2 | $4.75 PP | - |
| The Witness | 3.9 TF2 | $7.67 PP | - |
| The Wolf Among Us | 1.2 TF2 | $2.42 PP | - |
| This Is the Police | 0.5 TF2 | $1.01 PP | - |
| This War of Mine: Complete Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.41 PP | - |
| Titan Quest Anniversary Edition | 0.6 TF2 | $1.16 PP | - |
| Torchlight II | 0.7 TF2 | $1.38 PP | - |
| Total Tank Simulator | 0.5 TF2 | $0.95 PP | - |
| Total War Shogun 2 Collection | 1.7 TF2 | $3.46 PP | - |
| Total War: ATTILA | 2.7 TF2 | $5.34 PP | - |
| Total War: Empire - Definitive Edition | 1.8 TF2 | $3.54 PP | - |
| Total War: Napoleon - Definitive Edition | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Total War: Rome II - Emperor Edition | 2.7 TF2 | $5.38 PP | - |
| Total War™: WARHAMMER® | 2.9 TF2 | $5.76 PP | - |
| Totally Accurate Battle Simulator | 2.8 TF2 | $5.56 PP | - |
| Totally Reliable Delivery Service | 0.6 TF2 | $1.23 PP | - |
| Tour de France 2020 | 0.6 TF2 | $1.13 PP | - |
| Townscaper | 0.6 TF2 | $1.19 PP | - |
| Trailmakers Deluxe Edition | 1.4 TF2 | $2.74 PP | - |
| Train Simulator Classic | 0.8 TF2 | $1.58 PP | - |
| Tribes of Midgard | 0.8 TF2 | $1.53 PP | - |
| Tricky Towers | 2.0 TF2 | $4.0 PP | - |
| Trine 2: Complete Story | 1.1 TF2 | $2.28 PP | - |
| Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince | 1.2 TF2 | $2.37 PP | - |
| Trine Ultimate Collection | 5.1 TF2 | $10.15 PP | - |
| Tropico 5 – Complete Collection | 0.8 TF2 | $1.59 PP | - |
| Tropico 6 El-Prez Edition | 2.3 TF2 | $4.54 PP | - |
| Tropico 6 | 2.2 TF2 | $4.47 PP | - |
| Turmoil | 0.5 TF2 | $0.96 PP | - |
| Turok | 0.4 TF2 | $0.75 PP | - |
| Tyranny - Gold Edition | 0.7 TF2 | $1.36 PP | - |
| Ultimate Chicken Horse | 1.8 TF2 | $3.56 PP | - |
| Ultimate Fishing Simulator | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 | 1.8 TF2 | $3.59 PP | - |
| Ultra Street Fighter IV | 0.6 TF2 | $1.11 PP | - |
| Undertale | 2.1 TF2 | $4.2 PP | - |
| Universe Sandbox | 4.7 TF2 | $9.41 PP | - |
| Unrailed! | 1.5 TF2 | $3.07 PP | - |
| Until You Fall | 0.7 TF2 | $1.39 PP | - |
| VTOL VR | 6.4 TF2 | $12.66 PP | - |
| Vacation Simulator | 5.1 TF2 | $10.21 PP | - |
| Vagante | 0.7 TF2 | $1.33 PP | - |
| Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition | 1.9 TF2 | $3.76 PP | - |
| Valkyria Chronicles™ | 1.0 TF2 | $1.97 PP | - |
| Vampyr | 2.2 TF2 | $4.34 PP | - |
| Verdun | 0.4 TF2 | $0.72 PP | - |
| Vertigo Remastered | 0.4 TF2 | $0.8 PP | - |
| Visage | 2.9 TF2 | $5.83 PP | - |
| Viscera Cleanup Detail | 2.0 TF2 | $4.05 PP | - |
| Void Bastards | 0.7 TF2 | $1.32 PP | - |
| Volcanoids | 1.4 TF2 | $2.82 PP | - |
| Vox Machinae | 3.4 TF2 | $6.7 PP | - |
| Wargame: Red Dragon | 5.1 TF2 | $10.22 PP | - |
| Wargroove | 0.5 TF2 | $0.91 PP | - |
| Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters | 2.0 TF2 | $3.89 PP | - |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Master Collection | 1.5 TF2 | $2.91 PP | - |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Grand Master Collection | 2.3 TF2 | $4.56 PP | - |
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2023.06.08 12:19 TheGeekyZoologist Jurassic World: The Hegemony of Biosyn (JWD rewrite) - Act IV (2/2)
Here's the second part of Act IV. Sorry for the double post but I had no choice due to the website's limitations.
Frightened by the new attack, Biosyn's board of directors leave the auditorium and, guided by their escort, they head for the panic room. Meanwhile, the employees finally manage to rush out of the burning cafetaria and while some surrender to the Italians and the Austrians, others rush to the metro station or the garages in order to flee to the Biosyn village, and a fraction try to make a run for the panic room but their way is blocked by a group of guards.
On their way to the panic room, the board of directors is partly caught in a stampeding crowd. Zoe Murdoch is pushed on the ground, trampled and left behind while Nathan Quinn abandons his fellow board members.
The wage of treachery
While she also started heading to the garages, knowing that Dodgson must be there, Bigelow is attacked by Massoud. They fight but despite her skills, Massoud is a stronger opponent and he overpower Bigelow. But just as he is strangling her, the grey guard is tased by Kayla and falls unconscious. The smuggler helps the CIA agent get up and they hurry to the garages.
The raiders
Meanwhile, the mysterious soldiers have reached the laboratories, killing everyone in their path, be they Biosyn guards and mercenaries, scientists who tried to save their work, or besiegers (including Luis Olivares).
They cross the different labs. In Dr Lesser's, Wu hides from them as he is still locked up. The raiders ends up reaching their objective: The locusts' lab. When they see the nine empty rooms, the raiders seem worried and frustrated, implying they came to do something with the locusts. They then has the remaining group gassed and we see the locusts taking flight and then starting to drop dead on the floor. While some of the raiders then raid and destroy the rest of the Locusts' lab, other squad members then free the animals contained in the cages of another lab.
In the lower levels
While crawling and climbing in the vents towards the top of the Citadel, Claire sees Owen running past her as he rushes to the kennels. But the alarms' blare prevent The Raptor Whisperer from hearing his fiancée.
In the lower levels, Mia Everett is trying to capture Victoria, intending to save her from the chaos and Biosyn's clutches, but the young Achillobator attack her, biting and clawing at her throat. Grievously injured, the scientist fall and Victoria lets her bleeds to death. When Owen finds Mia, she just has the time of uttering a few words before passing away. The Raptor Whisperer sees a number of animals running in the hallways, including Victoria. But just as he plans to catch her, Biosyn employees are being chased by some of the most dangerous escapees (like the dilophosaurs). Some of those animals prevent The Raptor Whisperer from going after Victoria and he is forced to hide in the first room he can find.
Tu quoque mi fili
On their way to the garages, Ramsay and Dodgson have an argument, during which the first say he no longer want to follow the second due to his recent fits of madness (filling Maisie's head with lies; the locusts' threats; literally declaring war with the Italians and the Austrians; behaving like a dictator...), even though he believed in his vision when he was recruited years ago (Ramsay genuinely believed that Biosyn's breakthroughs could improve the world etc...). When Ramsay admits having helped Wu with discovering the truth about Charlotte's videos and breaking Maisie out of the Citadel, Dodgson seems genuinely hurt by the betrayal of his son-like figure. One too many, after those of Wu, Drummond, and Pellegrino. Their argument worsens, up until they come to blows. At one point Dodgson pulls out a pistol and shoots Ramsay in the belly by accident. While the younger man bleeds out, the CEO is dazed and runs away while predators' growls can be heard nearby.
Near the garages' entrance, Dodgson is found by Bigelow and Kayla. The CIA agent asks about Ramsay and he answers that he didn't make it due to an attack on the way. The three take the last available vehicle and exits the Citadel, driving into the valley. Their objective is the same mountain path towards which Maisie and Drummond are heading.
Duel
On the way to the courtyard, one of the mysterious soldiers has a sword fight with a grey guard (Cesare oand Papadopoulos). During it, his opponent tear a part of his sleeve, revealing a tattoo which depicts a snake hieroglyph (actually a symbol of the god Apep). The soldier manage to climb aboard their helicopter, which take off and leave the valley with one of the attack helicopters. Confused, the grey guard wonder who those attackers were.
The dam busters
Meanwhile, the other has moved to the other end of the valley, where it's in the middle of a fight with one of the Special Forces' helicopters, just by the dam. During their battle, the dilapidated dam is destroyed and its unleashed frozen waters follow the valley's main river, flooding everything in their path, including the battlefield on the road and the area just in front of the Citadel. A number of animals, Carabinieri and Biosyn employees aboard a fleeing vehicle are carried away and many of them drown while Dodgson's vehicle is almost caught by the waters.
The flood reaches the south-eastern limits of Biosyn's lands, where it's momentarily stopped by the wall found there and which separates the Sanctuary from the nearest village. But under so much pressure, the wall breaks down and the flood continues, destroying parts of a riverside village after that, catching some of the inhabitants.
With its main power source gone, the electricity goes off within Biosyn's lands and the surrounding areas, deactivating the invisible fences and stopping the metro full of passengers in the middle of the tunnels.
Road accident
While in the part of the valley spared by the flood, Dodgson's vehicle nearly collide with a loose black billy goat (the same which ran away in the prologue) and in its attempt to bypass it, it tumble down a slope (with Bigelow being ejected in the bushes in the process) and ends up on its roof (like the vehicle carrying the original trio and Maisie in Trevorrow's version).
Aftermath
The attackers gone and most of Biosyn troops neutralized or routing, Vuillier, Dougal, Nyamu, Viscontini, and the surviving grey guards, the officers of the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, along with Pellegrino and Nathan Quinn starts organizing the evacuation of the remaining Biosyn employees and taking the wounded (as the grey guards' medic, Papadopoulos will tend to them) to a provisional secure location within the Citadel (the auditorium could be such a place). In the control room, all the technicians but a few were killed or badly injured by the helicopter's attack while the grey guard's team dispatched there is in a hardly better state as Isabella Perez was also injured. Al-Damiri orders their comrade to take her out of the tower, and give similar orders to the uninjured technicians, asking only one to stay just in case. The Egyptian grey guard and the remaining technician then assess the damage.
As power need to be put back on for various purposes (allowing the three grey guards continue their search in the archives; deactivating the valley "aerial defense" to let helicopters come in the Citadel and evacuate people; reactivating the metro; reactivating the invisible fences to prevent the animals from leaving the valley...), people are sent activating the emergency generators.
They want to send men after Dodgson's but while the valley's known exits are watched, they fear he knows a secret one.
Dodgson's demise
When Bigelow awakes amidst the bushes, she notices that the vehicle is surrounded by a group of Nasutoceratops (or some other buffalo-sized herbivores). Inside the crashed vehicle, Dodgson and Kayla regain consciousness and know they have to wait for the herbivores to leave before exiting the vehicle. Suddenly, the herbivores get agitated and leave. They caught the scent of a predator and the latter shows itself: It's the InGen-bred Acrocanthosaurus.
Ensue a scene where Dodgson, just like his novel version with Sarah Harding, tries to save his own skin by pushing Kayla from the vehicle so the Acro can eat her instead of him, deeming her expendable, but the opposite happens. When the CEO is shaken between the jaws, his precious hard-drive falls on the ground and Bigelow sees this and tries to reach it before it's crushed by the animal. Kayla tries to hold the CIA agent back, saying she'll get herself killed and that the hard-drive isn't worth it. Bigelow rushes towards her objective anyway. When it takes a still screaming Dodgson in the woods, the acro steps on the hard-drive, destroying it.
The black billy goat responsible for the road accident watches Dodgson being devoured by the dinosaur.
Meanwhile, a depressed Bigelow is looking at the destroyed hard-drive and Kayla is forced to shake her so they can move away and head for the mountains in order to leave the valley.
Drummond's confession
Walking above the surface and not in the tunnels in order to not reiterate the traumatizing experience with the pectinodons even if it's equally dangerous due to the other valley's predators, Drummond and Maisie are heading eastward, following the peripheral rim of mountains.
During their trek, Drummond tells Maisie about the Hunting activity in the Sanctuary and how its profits financed his research at Biosyn, explaining part of his self-loathing. He admits he's glad that Claire put an end to it, even if he wished less blood was spilled.
To add some light amidst those dark hours, the teenager and the palaeontologist have a peaceful encounter with some dinosaurs (probably herbivores).
While watching them, Drummond tells Maisie about his late wife's wish of having children, implying to the teenager that she has a roof under which to sleep if she doesn't want to return to Orick and leave the Lockwood name behind her in order to finally have a normal life.
At the opposite end of the valley, they see fire and smoke rising from the Citadel and wonder what happened there.
Zobie la Mouche/Whac-a-Mole
Another danger is spotted near the Citadel. Coming from the now-flooded area at the base of the building, comes Brontes, one of the Argentinosaurus.
After the battle and the flood, he just seeks a place to have some rest and thinks the Citadel's courtyard would be a decent choice. The characters in the atrium hide as he crosses the now destroyed hall. It's seen during that scene that the sauropod has many scars on his skull, implying some human abuse (probably for medical experiments). The sauropod's suite of small carnivores take off from it and land in the atrium, investigating the hall as they caught the scent of dead or wounded humans.
On his way, Brontes sees something moving on the ground. It's Murdoch, who's trying to crawl away despite the injuries she got after being trampled by a crowd. Brontes looks at her with curiosity and then crushes her under his foot. Murdoch now squashed, Brontes loses interest in her and enters the courtyard while some members of his suite eat the remains of Biosyn's vice-president. The Argentinosaurus stands in the middle of the courtyard, just in front of the tower's entrance, and starts to sleep while standing (a bit like elephants). A part of his suite is on the lookout, hearing noise all around within the Citadel.
Distracting Brontes
Our protagonists are bothered as Brontes and his suite are preventing them from going after Dodgson by the shortest way and reaching the archives' entrance. They can either make a long detour through a series of hallways or confront the dinosaur. As time is running against them, they take the second option and while some of the grey guards (Cesare, Massoud, Kapakas) are attracting Brontes and his suite towards a ruined part of the Citadel (and from the control room, Al Damiri help them by shooting on the beast), Vuillier and Nyamu run to the tower and reach it in time. At the archives' entrance, they join Chapuy and his two comrades.
Burning the Hydra's heads
In the dark hallways, Claire stumbles upon Betty Chapman (or whatever her real name is), who's pushing a cart with hydrogen cyanide canisters. At that moment, the audience also notices for the first time that Chapman has the same snake hieroglyph tattoo on her arm as the soldier who had a sword fight with the grey guard.
Claire first intends to stop the guard and bring her to the invading force so she can be put with the other Biosyn employees, but Chapman tells her that they should be allies as she's also an enemy of Biosyn. Claire demands precisions and while pushing the cart, the guard reveal that she infiltrated the company and was the one who sabotaged the Sanctuary in the last few months, by temporarily deactivating the invisible fence and allowing one of the Quetzalcoatlus to escape in order to accelerate the destroying of Biosyn's reputation, and sending intel to the raiders, whose objective were to destroy the locusts before their shipping abroad. When Claire asks who she and the raider are, Chapman only gives an enigmatic answer (something like "Chaos in the service of a greater good"). When she tells Claire that Wu made those locusts, the former director of Jurassic World thinks about finding the geneticist and follow through with her threats from three years earlier.
On the way, Claire has to scare off some escaped predator which wanted to attack them. Chapman tells her she's heading to the panic room, where the board of directors so foolishly trapped itself. The felon guard explain Claire they can't take the risk of having the board members leaving the panic room and escaping the valley and that she could help her giving a deadly blow from which Biosyn will never recover while they still can. Claire agrees to help her and looking at the canisters, she remembers what Doctor Karim Depéret, one of InGen's geneticists, told her during the Lockwood Estate incident, that Hydrogen Cyanide is a poison.
The emergency generators
As having a full suspenseful scene dedicated to restoring power like in Trevorrow's version would be too much of a retread of JP's bunker scene, the scene where power is restored is either much shorter or happening off-screen.
However, the emergency generators alone are not enough to provide power for all the needed tasks (the invisible fences and the aerial defense system are quite energy-intensive) and another black-out occurs. Power is once again put back on but our protagonists are forced to make choices. In order to keep the invisible fences on and the archives' power running, they are forced to keep the "aerial defense" system on and stop the evacuation's helicopters from going and coming between the Citadel and the camp outside the valley in order to not trigger pterosaurs' attack.
Dracul
Reaching the part of the Citadel where the panic room is located, Claire and Chapman bring the cart to a maintenance tunnel, prepare the canisters and neutralize the guards in front of the panic room, using darkness to their advantage. They block the door, preventing the board members from escaping. They return to the maintenance tunnel and Chapman lets Claire introduce hydrogen cyanide in the panic room's aeration, poisoning the board members. Finally, the Chapman gives Claire a box of matches. She takes it, lights a match, throws it in the right vent and while the gas catches fire, the two women run away. The panic room is destroyed in a violent explosion which finishes the board members off. It's heard and felt within most of the Citadel.
A wounded Biosyn guard sees Claire fleeing the panic room's area and notices the blood on her clothes. When he discovers what's left of the panic room and the board members (charred corpses at best), he utters with dread the following word: Dracul (Dragon in Romanian. The guard, a minor character, is established to be a Romanian immigrant in an earlier scene depicting the daily life of the facility's employees).
Claire tries to find Chapman after that but the other woman disappeared like a ghost and is not seen for the rest of the Dolomites Incident.
In the Archives
Vuillier, Nyamu and the three grey guards with them are still searching the archives for every incriminating document.
Reuniting
After discovering that Victoria and other animals escaped the citadel through a door and are now in the valley, Owen heads for the control room, aware that it must have some sort of tracking system. On the way, he reunites with Claire and soon, they are found by Dougal. As the Argentinosaurus is still posing a threat in the central courtyard, they pass under it in order to access the tower. They climb to the control room, meet Al-Damiri and the last technician there, get access to the tracking system and Victoria's current coordinates. They find a tracking tablet and Claire volunteers to stay in the control room and be their eyes.
While Owen and Dougal grab some capture equipment in a room near the kennels, Claire searches through the CCTV footage and finds Wu in Maisie's cell, within Dr Lesser's lab. She heads for the laboratories, telling the others she found the geneticist.
Following Victoria's signal thanks to their tracking tablet, Owen and Dougal leave the Citadel and head for the nearby forest, crossing the flooded area between the two.
Wu-ing for redemption
Claire reaches Dr Lesser's lab and opens its cell. Wu steps out but his old enemy brutally grabs him and interrogates him about the locusts. As he once again fucked up, she's about to strike him when pity hold her hand back. Wu tells her that they can still cancel Dodgson's apocalypse, by passing as the CEO himself and giving Biosyn's abroad agents the order to destroy the locusts, and just begs her to offer his help. After a moment of hesitation, Claire help the geneticist stand and give him his cane, the one Lockwood offered to him at the end of TRQ. Together, they then head immediately to the central tower and once in Dodgson's office, Wu turns the CEO's computer on but discovers it's empty. Claire's aggressiveness starts to return when Wu remembers that Dodgson kept some of his most precious information on paper and not necessarily on his computer as he feared being hacked. They start searching the office and the adjacent bedroom. Wu notices a framed picture of Dodgson as a child with his mother at some science fair (in an earlier scene, before he sent the containers, Dodgson could be seen closing the frame while Wu just stepped in his office). Wu opens the back of the frame and discover that Dodgson hid small pieces of papers between the picture and the frame itself. When he sees one paper with Hexapod Allies written on the top; a series of names, phone numbers and email addresses below; and a series of secret codes for the different orders on the back; he knows they put their hands on the jackpot. Wu and Claire hack Dodgson's email account (the password is Liddell, the maiden name of Dodgson's mother) and write the message to the agents involved in the Hexapod Allies operation, including the secret code for the Destroy order, but when they want to send it, the computer notify them that they can't due to internet connection issues. Wu realizes it's because the antenna on top of the control room might have moved following the helicopter's attack. Someone has to climb on the roof to properly realign it and since Wu can't because of his lame leg, the task goes to Claire.
Tracking Victoria
In the woods, Owen and Dougal hear Victoria's calls for help. The young Achillobator still thinks her mother might show up.
They find her and try to capture her but fails. They wander deeper in the woods.
Realigning the antenna
Claire climbs on the control room's roof and communicates with Wu through the radio, she ends up finding the right antenna.
However, just as she begin fixing it, the Argentinosaurus' suite start harassing her as the sauropod is just below. From the auditorium's entrance, Viscontini notices that. Learning through Wu what Claire is doing, Viscontini orders the grey guards to attack the Argentinosaurus so his suite will turn away from Claire to instead defend him. Wu also urges the AISI head to send men after Theo, Maisie and Drummond, as they're carrying very important data about the locusts, enough to destroy Biosyn.
Defying a Titan
Round two between the grey guards and Brontes start, and most of Claire's harassers go help him. This time, the sauropod actively chases his human attackers across parts of the Citadel, destroying walls and roofs with his sheer weight, letting out deafening bellows, passing his neck and head into breaches to try get access to the characters while his suite can reach them where he can't. Massoud ends up grabbed by the herbivore mouth and then thrown against the tower or any other surface, killing him instantly. An additional idea could be the titanosaur provoking small "earthquakes" when he strikes the ground with his forefeet, destabilizing Claire on top of the tower (she even almost falls).
Depending on the pace, there could be at the same time a suspenseful scene in the archives involving some creatures from the labs or the kennels. If the archives are low enough, maybe they'll get inundated because of the flood and the threat could be a semi-aquatic creature contained in the Citadel or brought by the flood (like the temnospondyl; while Nothosaurus, which had a small appearance in my JW rewrite, could be an alternative choice, with individuals housed in the kennels).
Prometheus' fate
After giving a few kicks while repelling her last harassers, Claire manages to properly realign the antenna and Wu successfully transmit the Destroy order to the Hexapod Allies agents. We cut to them as they destroy the locusts in their containers. When he receives their confirmation, the geneticist is relieved. But just as Claire is about to return to Dodgson's office, she sees a *Variraptor (*if it's chosen as Brontes' suite. If not, it will be some relatively large feathered coelurosaurian from the labs in order to make the parallels with Prometheus work) getting to its entrance first. Wu just has the time to barricade himself in the bedroom adjacent to the office but he knows the door won't hold long. Something (Brontes passing his head through a window and trying to attack her?) prevents her from reaching the office. She tells Wu to hold while she tries to save him but he asks her to instead save herself, wishing her a long and happy life. He bids her farewell and wait for his death while Claire escapes the tower. The raptor ends up breaking through the door and it pounce on Wu. While the predator starts devouring him, his cane falls on the ground and its amber pommel shatters.
Owen's decision
Just as the Owen and Dougal are about to start a new attempt in capturing Victoria, a pack of Achillobators (the same one which allied with Claire in the previous night) shows up and our duo hide while the raptors spot Victoria. At first, Owen fears they'll hurt or even kill her. He thinks about intervening, even if he might risk his own life, but after sniffing the young and scared Achillobator, the pack leader gently guides her towards her pack. Owen and Dougal watch the raptors disappear in the darkness. Dougal ask Owen if he'll do something but the Raptor Whisperer says nothing, willing to let Victoria live with a pack and without unnecessary human interference in her life. They head back to the Citadel.
The tower and the tyrannosaur
Kayla and Bigelow arrive by one of the observation towers, the one closest from the mountain path they're heading to. Nearby, the Special Forces' helicopter shot down by that of the raiders and the surrounding vegetation still burns. Just as they are about to climb to its observation bay in order to raid the tower for anything useful before starting the mountains' ascent, they are surrounded by a pack of small carnivores (just like Claire with the dilophosaurs in Trevorrow's version). Before they attack, a horn blast is heard. It's Drummond and after the palaeontologist insists with his portable horn (similar to the one Nigel Marven use against the velociraptors in The Giant Claw), the small carnivores scatter. He asks the two women if they're friends or foes, if they count among Dodgson's friends. Kayla answers that since Dodgson tried to sacrifice her to an Acrocanthosaurus, the answer is no for her, before adding that it ate Dodgson instead. Drummond is glad to hear that and he tells Maisie she can come. The teenager, hidden until there amidst the vegetation, joins them. Having heard Dodgson complaining about Maisie's escape, Bigelow is aware she must be very important but still wary, Drummond whisper to Maisie to not say a single word about the flash drive she's carrying. The two duos talk about their objectives and discover that they're the same. For better chances of survival, they decide to head together for the mountain's path.
But a tyrannosaur, the same one which Claire released earlier, makes its appearance while they're walking away from the tower. It saw them and they know that they better seek refuge in the tower than attempt to run from the predator. At first, they try to stay still, in order to not trigger its attack, but when he notices that the predator wouldn't mind eat one or two of them, Drummond tells Maisie and the two women to run. While they rush to the tower, he distracts the rex by agitating a burning branch. Afraid of the fire, the rex seek to avoid the branch and see the three other humans climbing the tower's ladder. The predator bypass Drummond and in its dash towards the tower, it sends the palaeontologist flying away with its tail. As such thing would have easily killed someone, Maisie fears the worst for him and when his motionless body falls into a ravine, the audience think it's over for him. Maisie panics while the rex has its jaws locked around the ladder's protective cage. What follows is pretty much similar to the Giganotosaurus' attack on the tower scene from Trevorrow's version, except that the final outcome will be quite different. As the observation towers' power has been turned off from the control room in order to save power for more urgent systems, our three protagonists can't have the observation bay rise to the top of the tower, where they would be safe from the rex. To make matters worse, another threat arrive.
I haven't decided which yet but the idea I'm having now is a group of pterosaurs, probably pteranodons, which targets our trio and chase the rex away from the tower by pecking at his head. Another manages to grab Maisie and take her out of the tower. However, the pterosaur let her go before it can be above the canopy due to some incident (another harassing it probably) and Maisie falls into dense bushes at a certain distance from the tower, out of the two women's sight. In the meantime, a mist has started descending from the mountains. Bigelow and Kayla exit the tower and begin searching for Maisie in the area, fearing she got herself hurt in the fall. To cover a maximum of ground before the mist reaches them, they decide to split up.
The end of a line
We see Maisie managing to stand up and while she got bruises**,** she seems relatively fine and still in walking condition. Now lost and alone in the middle of the woods, she's very scared though and starts screaming to help. In the silent forest, Kayla hears her voice and follows it. Just as the mist is about to reach Maisie, the smuggler sees the teenager in the distance and calls for her. But when she hears heavy footsteps and a rumble coming from just behind Maisie, in the mist, her heart stops and she's aghast when she sees the tyrannosaur's silhouette closing to the girl's. Before Maisie can flee, the predator open its maws, grabs her and swallow her whole before disappearing in the forest's shadows (the scene is meant to be a mirror of one from my JW rewrite, where the death of a little girl during the pterosaurs' attack on the main hub is concealed by smoke while Claire watch helplessly). Thus ends Lockwood's line, indirectly destroyed by Claire Dearing.
Bigelow arrives in her turn and sees the smuggler kneeled on the ground, speechless, too shocked by the scene she just saw. Understanding what happened, the CIA agent has an "Oh. Shit..." face and tells Kayla they have to leave the valley while they still can, as she doesn't know what the Italians will do with it once it's taken, even fearing that it might be firebombed in order to destroy the perpetrators of the various incidents of the past months.
While the two women head for the mountain's path and the mist passes away, Drummond is seen climbing out of the ravine and starts to call for Maisie, in vain. Seeing the destroyed observation bay empty, he looks around for clues about Maisie's or the women's whereabouts. He ends up stumbling on the rex's tracks and follows them up to the spot where the teenager last stood. There he finds Wu's flash drive and seeing some blood stains around, he realizes she is no more. This deeply saddens him and this loss and failure just add another load on his self-loathing, as he would have gladly died between the jaws of the king of the dinosaurs if it could have saved Maisie's life. Instead of trying to follow Kayla and Bigelow, he goes in the opposite direction, towards the valley itself.
Leaving the Sanctuary
While looking to reach the auditorium, Claire is forced to hide in one of the labs from dilophosaurs roaming in the area.
In the archives, Vuillier and Nyamu finally put their hands on the documents they were looking for and take them. They and the grey guards' archives team then leave the room and head to the auditorium, in order to reunite with Viscontini and co. On the way, they have to pass between the legs of Brontes while he's distracted by the grey guards. When they reach the auditorium, Viscontini tells them that helicopters are waiting for them. One of the aircrafts is on its way to pick up the Owen and Dougal.
Escorted by the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, the surviving Biosyn employees are evacuated from the Citadel and when the grey guards retreat from their confrontation against Brontes, Vuillier asks them if they've seen Claire coming back but they answer that no. He contacts her and she tells him that she's being delayed.
We see her evading the dilophosaurs which were about to discover her and leaving the labs. Now, start for her an Uncharted-esque race through the Citadel where she has to cross various obstacles and avoid/outrun the loose creatures within it (including the dilophosaurs mentioned above). Still pissed, Brontes targets her and chases her up to her extraction point. Before the Argentinosaurus can close his mouth on her, she jumps into one of the helicopters where Owen and Dougal are waiting for her. The two men help her get inside and their helicopter fly away from the Citadel while the sauropod lets out a mighty bellow.
The protagonists leave the valley and the helicopters which drop them off at Biosyn employees' village, which has been taken over by the Italians and the Austrians in the meantime.
A bitter dawn
While the first sun rays reach the valley, Drummond stumble upon the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus Quasimodo in the area devastated by the flood, in sight of the now destroyed south-eastern wall. Surprised by the waters near the road battlefield, the predator was carried on a certain distance before ending up blocked by rocks and then impaled by a tree. When the palaeontologist finds him, he's dead. Disgusted by the animal, Drummond first tries to ignore him and continue towards the wall, intending to reach the village beyond it, but he turns back and carefully approach him. Tired from his night-long trek, Drummond sit on a rock just next to Quasimodo's head and still quite shaken by Maisie's death and the disaster, Drummond start to ramble about various topics (about the evolution of palaeontology since the San Diego incident, his wife, working at Biosyn, Theo's and Maisie's death...) before breaking down in tears and he can't hold himself from calling Quasimodo a Manmade abomination which deserved to be destroyed by Nature. While looking towards the destroyed wall, the palaeontologist start to regret those harsh words and pulls out a flask of whisky from his bag. After drinking a sip, he puts it back in the bag and just sit silently by the dead animal for a few minutes, up until some Quetzalcoatlus land nearby. The gigantic pterosaurs walk up to the dead Acrocanthosaurus and ignoring Drummond as a way bigger meal is just in front of them, they start feasting. While they do so, Drummond follows the flood's desolation towards the Citadel and he is soon spotted by the men tasked with finding him.
Of rivalries and world-saving
In the morning, Claire steps out of the accommodation assigned to her and Owen within Biosyn's Village. She sees Drummond giving Wu's flash drive to Vuillier before taking his leave. After joining her boss, Claire ponders about her relationship with Wu, on how both destroyed Jurassic World five years ago and how they pretty much saved the world that night. She and Vuillier have a respectful moment of silence for their deceased enemy.
In the abandoned citadel, it's revealed that one of the locusts survived. It's seen crawling on the ground, towards one of the vents. But just before it could reach it, a Mononykus (freed from one of the cages during the raid) swoops on it and devours it.
League of Dragons
As she is crossing the village, Claire passes by one of the remaining Biosyn guards. It's actually the Romanian one, the one who saw her by the panic room. Frightened as hell, he moves away from her while yelling "Dracul! Dracul!", still traumatized by the past night's events. Claire briefly wonders why he is yelling and running away before she gets surrounded by other Biosyn guards and Lucrezia Pellegrino. The Citadel's head of security explains that he called her a dragon because of what he saw and some of the guards start throwing insults at Claire, calling her a monster and a butcher, and she realize that they and their superior want to avenge those she killed. Pellegrino adds that by sending dinosaurs on people who oppose her, Claire is no better than Dodgson on that matter.
Nearby, Owen sees his fiancée surrounded and when one of the Biosyn guards throws a stone at Claire, he gets furious, tackles him on the ground and starts to beat him up. As another guard pulls out a knife (which he hid when they had to give their weapons to the authorities) and is about to stab Owen, the surviving grey guards suddenly intervene, getting the couple out of the Biosyn ambush and then confronting the attackers, standing by Claire's and Owen's side. The grey guards retort to their opponents that their comrades could have denounced the Sanctuary's illegal activities, surrendered, deserted or arrested Dodgson while they could but did nothing, before adding that without Claire, they would have all eaten nothing but locusts in a near future. The Biosyn guards feel insulted however and as an ugly fight is about to break out between both groups, the Carabinieri are forced to intervene and assign them to opposite parts of the village.
The press, who just entered the Biosyn's lands, has witnessed the confrontation and so did Vuillier and Nyamu. The latter tells the Frenchman that since Claire pretty much saved the world, Odegaard could give her a well-deserved break, literally and figuratively.
Debate
In the village's equivalent of a community centre, a meeting about the incident's consequences and what to do with the Sanctuary and its animals is held. Among the attendees, are:
- The WDMC and the people directly affiliated to it: Claire, Owen, Dougal, Vuillier, and Nyamu.
- Representatives of the Italian government: Viscontini, Giovanni Pazzi, and a few local politicians.
- The surviving Biosyn executives and top researchers: Drummond, Pellegrino, Quinn.
During the meeting, we learn that:
- Dodgson was found, or at least five or six pieces of him.
- Some of the Sanctuary's denizens managed to flee the valley and are now somewhere in the Italian countryside. Among the escapees are Victoria and her new pack of Achillobators.
- Exterminators led by the surviving grey guards are about to be sent in the amber mines to slaughter the pectinodons down to the last individual and the species will be soon classified as a pest in Italy, Austria and probably other countries.
Several solutions for the valley, its denizens and the Citadel are discussed:
- Cull the animals, cleanse the valley of Biosyn's traces, and give it back to the inhabitants expropriated by the corporation when it decided to have the entire valley and some of the surrounding lands for itself and no one else.
- Abandoning the valley, let the animals fend for themselves and hope that "life will find a way", even if it poses huge risks for the local populations and ecosystems.
- Dispatch the surviving animals to zoos and other entities which can legally house dangerous captive animals. Proceeding like this will allow de-extinct creatures to no longer be in the ownership of a single entity like Biosyn or InGen.
- Round up the loose animals, cleanse the battle's and the flood's damages, and turn the place into a real Sanctuary for de-extinct animals. Not a "Kruger with dinosaurs" like the Five Deaths but more like a non-profit place with enclosures (akin to many sanctuaries for wild animals across the globe). It will be a public-private joint-venture, with the sanctuary co-managed by the UN's WDMC and the Italian government while private partners will help finance it (Nathan Quinn propose to be one of those but Vuillier, Dougal and a few others distrust him and prefer to not have some of Dodgson's former collaborators on the project). And in order to ensure good relations with the local communities, jobs will be offered to the area's inhabitants and some lands given back to them. Shall this solution be adopted, Vuillier proposes to have Claire Dearing as its manager, Owen Grady its head warden, Rod Drummond its chief researcher, and Laurenzo Cesare as head of security, if they accept. Pellegrino storms off at this moment, disgusted that they're about to leave her without a job and rewarding Claire, an unrepentant psychopath in her eyes. In a moment of consultation amidst the meeting, Claire tells Vuillier she'll probably refuse becoming the sanctuary's manager if this solution is adopted, telling him that she has the feeling that her future lies elsewhere and that she'll continue work as a field agent if he don't mind. Vuillier, who clearly saw how Claire evolved since she started playing spies back in 2019 and decided to close his eyes on her exactions, suggest her to settle for a quieter less-violent life and declares that managing the Sanctuary could be the ultimate redemption for her. Still shaken by the amount of violence she had to commit in order to stop Biosyn and desiring to spend more time with her son, she ends up being persuaded and accept the idea.
The different solutions are being debated for weeks if not months within the Italian government and the UN.
End of Act IV.
See you tomorrow for the final Act and the Epilogue.
submitted by TheGeekyZoologist to JurassicPark [link] [comments]
Act IV: The Clouds Burst (2/2)
To the Panic roomFrightened by the new attack, Biosyn's board of directors leave the auditorium and, guided by their escort, they head for the panic room. Meanwhile, the employees finally manage to rush out of the burning cafetaria and while some surrender to the Italians and the Austrians, others rush to the metro station or the garages in order to flee to the Biosyn village, and a fraction try to make a run for the panic room but their way is blocked by a group of guards.
On their way to the panic room, the board of directors is partly caught in a stampeding crowd. Zoe Murdoch is pushed on the ground, trampled and left behind while Nathan Quinn abandons his fellow board members.
The wage of treachery
While she also started heading to the garages, knowing that Dodgson must be there, Bigelow is attacked by Massoud. They fight but despite her skills, Massoud is a stronger opponent and he overpower Bigelow. But just as he is strangling her, the grey guard is tased by Kayla and falls unconscious. The smuggler helps the CIA agent get up and they hurry to the garages.
The raiders
Meanwhile, the mysterious soldiers have reached the laboratories, killing everyone in their path, be they Biosyn guards and mercenaries, scientists who tried to save their work, or besiegers (including Luis Olivares).
They cross the different labs. In Dr Lesser's, Wu hides from them as he is still locked up. The raiders ends up reaching their objective: The locusts' lab. When they see the nine empty rooms, the raiders seem worried and frustrated, implying they came to do something with the locusts. They then has the remaining group gassed and we see the locusts taking flight and then starting to drop dead on the floor. While some of the raiders then raid and destroy the rest of the Locusts' lab, other squad members then free the animals contained in the cages of another lab.
In the lower levels
While crawling and climbing in the vents towards the top of the Citadel, Claire sees Owen running past her as he rushes to the kennels. But the alarms' blare prevent The Raptor Whisperer from hearing his fiancée.
In the lower levels, Mia Everett is trying to capture Victoria, intending to save her from the chaos and Biosyn's clutches, but the young Achillobator attack her, biting and clawing at her throat. Grievously injured, the scientist fall and Victoria lets her bleeds to death. When Owen finds Mia, she just has the time of uttering a few words before passing away. The Raptor Whisperer sees a number of animals running in the hallways, including Victoria. But just as he plans to catch her, Biosyn employees are being chased by some of the most dangerous escapees (like the dilophosaurs). Some of those animals prevent The Raptor Whisperer from going after Victoria and he is forced to hide in the first room he can find.
Tu quoque mi fili
On their way to the garages, Ramsay and Dodgson have an argument, during which the first say he no longer want to follow the second due to his recent fits of madness (filling Maisie's head with lies; the locusts' threats; literally declaring war with the Italians and the Austrians; behaving like a dictator...), even though he believed in his vision when he was recruited years ago (Ramsay genuinely believed that Biosyn's breakthroughs could improve the world etc...). When Ramsay admits having helped Wu with discovering the truth about Charlotte's videos and breaking Maisie out of the Citadel, Dodgson seems genuinely hurt by the betrayal of his son-like figure. One too many, after those of Wu, Drummond, and Pellegrino. Their argument worsens, up until they come to blows. At one point Dodgson pulls out a pistol and shoots Ramsay in the belly by accident. While the younger man bleeds out, the CEO is dazed and runs away while predators' growls can be heard nearby.
Near the garages' entrance, Dodgson is found by Bigelow and Kayla. The CIA agent asks about Ramsay and he answers that he didn't make it due to an attack on the way. The three take the last available vehicle and exits the Citadel, driving into the valley. Their objective is the same mountain path towards which Maisie and Drummond are heading.
Duel
On the way to the courtyard, one of the mysterious soldiers has a sword fight with a grey guard (Cesare oand Papadopoulos). During it, his opponent tear a part of his sleeve, revealing a tattoo which depicts a snake hieroglyph (actually a symbol of the god Apep). The soldier manage to climb aboard their helicopter, which take off and leave the valley with one of the attack helicopters. Confused, the grey guard wonder who those attackers were.
The dam busters
Meanwhile, the other has moved to the other end of the valley, where it's in the middle of a fight with one of the Special Forces' helicopters, just by the dam. During their battle, the dilapidated dam is destroyed and its unleashed frozen waters follow the valley's main river, flooding everything in their path, including the battlefield on the road and the area just in front of the Citadel. A number of animals, Carabinieri and Biosyn employees aboard a fleeing vehicle are carried away and many of them drown while Dodgson's vehicle is almost caught by the waters.
The flood reaches the south-eastern limits of Biosyn's lands, where it's momentarily stopped by the wall found there and which separates the Sanctuary from the nearest village. But under so much pressure, the wall breaks down and the flood continues, destroying parts of a riverside village after that, catching some of the inhabitants.
With its main power source gone, the electricity goes off within Biosyn's lands and the surrounding areas, deactivating the invisible fences and stopping the metro full of passengers in the middle of the tunnels.
Road accident
While in the part of the valley spared by the flood, Dodgson's vehicle nearly collide with a loose black billy goat (the same which ran away in the prologue) and in its attempt to bypass it, it tumble down a slope (with Bigelow being ejected in the bushes in the process) and ends up on its roof (like the vehicle carrying the original trio and Maisie in Trevorrow's version).
Aftermath
The attackers gone and most of Biosyn troops neutralized or routing, Vuillier, Dougal, Nyamu, Viscontini, and the surviving grey guards, the officers of the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, along with Pellegrino and Nathan Quinn starts organizing the evacuation of the remaining Biosyn employees and taking the wounded (as the grey guards' medic, Papadopoulos will tend to them) to a provisional secure location within the Citadel (the auditorium could be such a place). In the control room, all the technicians but a few were killed or badly injured by the helicopter's attack while the grey guard's team dispatched there is in a hardly better state as Isabella Perez was also injured. Al-Damiri orders their comrade to take her out of the tower, and give similar orders to the uninjured technicians, asking only one to stay just in case. The Egyptian grey guard and the remaining technician then assess the damage.
As power need to be put back on for various purposes (allowing the three grey guards continue their search in the archives; deactivating the valley "aerial defense" to let helicopters come in the Citadel and evacuate people; reactivating the metro; reactivating the invisible fences to prevent the animals from leaving the valley...), people are sent activating the emergency generators.
They want to send men after Dodgson's but while the valley's known exits are watched, they fear he knows a secret one.
Dodgson's demise
When Bigelow awakes amidst the bushes, she notices that the vehicle is surrounded by a group of Nasutoceratops (or some other buffalo-sized herbivores). Inside the crashed vehicle, Dodgson and Kayla regain consciousness and know they have to wait for the herbivores to leave before exiting the vehicle. Suddenly, the herbivores get agitated and leave. They caught the scent of a predator and the latter shows itself: It's the InGen-bred Acrocanthosaurus.
Ensue a scene where Dodgson, just like his novel version with Sarah Harding, tries to save his own skin by pushing Kayla from the vehicle so the Acro can eat her instead of him, deeming her expendable, but the opposite happens. When the CEO is shaken between the jaws, his precious hard-drive falls on the ground and Bigelow sees this and tries to reach it before it's crushed by the animal. Kayla tries to hold the CIA agent back, saying she'll get herself killed and that the hard-drive isn't worth it. Bigelow rushes towards her objective anyway. When it takes a still screaming Dodgson in the woods, the acro steps on the hard-drive, destroying it.
The black billy goat responsible for the road accident watches Dodgson being devoured by the dinosaur.
Meanwhile, a depressed Bigelow is looking at the destroyed hard-drive and Kayla is forced to shake her so they can move away and head for the mountains in order to leave the valley.
Drummond's confession
Walking above the surface and not in the tunnels in order to not reiterate the traumatizing experience with the pectinodons even if it's equally dangerous due to the other valley's predators, Drummond and Maisie are heading eastward, following the peripheral rim of mountains.
During their trek, Drummond tells Maisie about the Hunting activity in the Sanctuary and how its profits financed his research at Biosyn, explaining part of his self-loathing. He admits he's glad that Claire put an end to it, even if he wished less blood was spilled.
To add some light amidst those dark hours, the teenager and the palaeontologist have a peaceful encounter with some dinosaurs (probably herbivores).
While watching them, Drummond tells Maisie about his late wife's wish of having children, implying to the teenager that she has a roof under which to sleep if she doesn't want to return to Orick and leave the Lockwood name behind her in order to finally have a normal life.
At the opposite end of the valley, they see fire and smoke rising from the Citadel and wonder what happened there.
Zobie la Mouche/Whac-a-Mole
Another danger is spotted near the Citadel. Coming from the now-flooded area at the base of the building, comes Brontes, one of the Argentinosaurus.
After the battle and the flood, he just seeks a place to have some rest and thinks the Citadel's courtyard would be a decent choice. The characters in the atrium hide as he crosses the now destroyed hall. It's seen during that scene that the sauropod has many scars on his skull, implying some human abuse (probably for medical experiments). The sauropod's suite of small carnivores take off from it and land in the atrium, investigating the hall as they caught the scent of dead or wounded humans.
On his way, Brontes sees something moving on the ground. It's Murdoch, who's trying to crawl away despite the injuries she got after being trampled by a crowd. Brontes looks at her with curiosity and then crushes her under his foot. Murdoch now squashed, Brontes loses interest in her and enters the courtyard while some members of his suite eat the remains of Biosyn's vice-president. The Argentinosaurus stands in the middle of the courtyard, just in front of the tower's entrance, and starts to sleep while standing (a bit like elephants). A part of his suite is on the lookout, hearing noise all around within the Citadel.
Distracting Brontes
Our protagonists are bothered as Brontes and his suite are preventing them from going after Dodgson by the shortest way and reaching the archives' entrance. They can either make a long detour through a series of hallways or confront the dinosaur. As time is running against them, they take the second option and while some of the grey guards (Cesare, Massoud, Kapakas) are attracting Brontes and his suite towards a ruined part of the Citadel (and from the control room, Al Damiri help them by shooting on the beast), Vuillier and Nyamu run to the tower and reach it in time. At the archives' entrance, they join Chapuy and his two comrades.
Burning the Hydra's heads
In the dark hallways, Claire stumbles upon Betty Chapman (or whatever her real name is), who's pushing a cart with hydrogen cyanide canisters. At that moment, the audience also notices for the first time that Chapman has the same snake hieroglyph tattoo on her arm as the soldier who had a sword fight with the grey guard.
Claire first intends to stop the guard and bring her to the invading force so she can be put with the other Biosyn employees, but Chapman tells her that they should be allies as she's also an enemy of Biosyn. Claire demands precisions and while pushing the cart, the guard reveal that she infiltrated the company and was the one who sabotaged the Sanctuary in the last few months, by temporarily deactivating the invisible fence and allowing one of the Quetzalcoatlus to escape in order to accelerate the destroying of Biosyn's reputation, and sending intel to the raiders, whose objective were to destroy the locusts before their shipping abroad. When Claire asks who she and the raider are, Chapman only gives an enigmatic answer (something like "Chaos in the service of a greater good"). When she tells Claire that Wu made those locusts, the former director of Jurassic World thinks about finding the geneticist and follow through with her threats from three years earlier.
On the way, Claire has to scare off some escaped predator which wanted to attack them. Chapman tells her she's heading to the panic room, where the board of directors so foolishly trapped itself. The felon guard explain Claire they can't take the risk of having the board members leaving the panic room and escaping the valley and that she could help her giving a deadly blow from which Biosyn will never recover while they still can. Claire agrees to help her and looking at the canisters, she remembers what Doctor Karim Depéret, one of InGen's geneticists, told her during the Lockwood Estate incident, that Hydrogen Cyanide is a poison.
The emergency generators
As having a full suspenseful scene dedicated to restoring power like in Trevorrow's version would be too much of a retread of JP's bunker scene, the scene where power is restored is either much shorter or happening off-screen.
However, the emergency generators alone are not enough to provide power for all the needed tasks (the invisible fences and the aerial defense system are quite energy-intensive) and another black-out occurs. Power is once again put back on but our protagonists are forced to make choices. In order to keep the invisible fences on and the archives' power running, they are forced to keep the "aerial defense" system on and stop the evacuation's helicopters from going and coming between the Citadel and the camp outside the valley in order to not trigger pterosaurs' attack.
Dracul
Reaching the part of the Citadel where the panic room is located, Claire and Chapman bring the cart to a maintenance tunnel, prepare the canisters and neutralize the guards in front of the panic room, using darkness to their advantage. They block the door, preventing the board members from escaping. They return to the maintenance tunnel and Chapman lets Claire introduce hydrogen cyanide in the panic room's aeration, poisoning the board members. Finally, the Chapman gives Claire a box of matches. She takes it, lights a match, throws it in the right vent and while the gas catches fire, the two women run away. The panic room is destroyed in a violent explosion which finishes the board members off. It's heard and felt within most of the Citadel.
A wounded Biosyn guard sees Claire fleeing the panic room's area and notices the blood on her clothes. When he discovers what's left of the panic room and the board members (charred corpses at best), he utters with dread the following word: Dracul (Dragon in Romanian. The guard, a minor character, is established to be a Romanian immigrant in an earlier scene depicting the daily life of the facility's employees).
Claire tries to find Chapman after that but the other woman disappeared like a ghost and is not seen for the rest of the Dolomites Incident.
In the Archives
Vuillier, Nyamu and the three grey guards with them are still searching the archives for every incriminating document.
Reuniting
After discovering that Victoria and other animals escaped the citadel through a door and are now in the valley, Owen heads for the control room, aware that it must have some sort of tracking system. On the way, he reunites with Claire and soon, they are found by Dougal. As the Argentinosaurus is still posing a threat in the central courtyard, they pass under it in order to access the tower. They climb to the control room, meet Al-Damiri and the last technician there, get access to the tracking system and Victoria's current coordinates. They find a tracking tablet and Claire volunteers to stay in the control room and be their eyes.
While Owen and Dougal grab some capture equipment in a room near the kennels, Claire searches through the CCTV footage and finds Wu in Maisie's cell, within Dr Lesser's lab. She heads for the laboratories, telling the others she found the geneticist.
Following Victoria's signal thanks to their tracking tablet, Owen and Dougal leave the Citadel and head for the nearby forest, crossing the flooded area between the two.
Wu-ing for redemption
Claire reaches Dr Lesser's lab and opens its cell. Wu steps out but his old enemy brutally grabs him and interrogates him about the locusts. As he once again fucked up, she's about to strike him when pity hold her hand back. Wu tells her that they can still cancel Dodgson's apocalypse, by passing as the CEO himself and giving Biosyn's abroad agents the order to destroy the locusts, and just begs her to offer his help. After a moment of hesitation, Claire help the geneticist stand and give him his cane, the one Lockwood offered to him at the end of TRQ. Together, they then head immediately to the central tower and once in Dodgson's office, Wu turns the CEO's computer on but discovers it's empty. Claire's aggressiveness starts to return when Wu remembers that Dodgson kept some of his most precious information on paper and not necessarily on his computer as he feared being hacked. They start searching the office and the adjacent bedroom. Wu notices a framed picture of Dodgson as a child with his mother at some science fair (in an earlier scene, before he sent the containers, Dodgson could be seen closing the frame while Wu just stepped in his office). Wu opens the back of the frame and discover that Dodgson hid small pieces of papers between the picture and the frame itself. When he sees one paper with Hexapod Allies written on the top; a series of names, phone numbers and email addresses below; and a series of secret codes for the different orders on the back; he knows they put their hands on the jackpot. Wu and Claire hack Dodgson's email account (the password is Liddell, the maiden name of Dodgson's mother) and write the message to the agents involved in the Hexapod Allies operation, including the secret code for the Destroy order, but when they want to send it, the computer notify them that they can't due to internet connection issues. Wu realizes it's because the antenna on top of the control room might have moved following the helicopter's attack. Someone has to climb on the roof to properly realign it and since Wu can't because of his lame leg, the task goes to Claire.
Tracking Victoria
In the woods, Owen and Dougal hear Victoria's calls for help. The young Achillobator still thinks her mother might show up.
They find her and try to capture her but fails. They wander deeper in the woods.
Realigning the antenna
Claire climbs on the control room's roof and communicates with Wu through the radio, she ends up finding the right antenna.
However, just as she begin fixing it, the Argentinosaurus' suite start harassing her as the sauropod is just below. From the auditorium's entrance, Viscontini notices that. Learning through Wu what Claire is doing, Viscontini orders the grey guards to attack the Argentinosaurus so his suite will turn away from Claire to instead defend him. Wu also urges the AISI head to send men after Theo, Maisie and Drummond, as they're carrying very important data about the locusts, enough to destroy Biosyn.
Defying a Titan
Round two between the grey guards and Brontes start, and most of Claire's harassers go help him. This time, the sauropod actively chases his human attackers across parts of the Citadel, destroying walls and roofs with his sheer weight, letting out deafening bellows, passing his neck and head into breaches to try get access to the characters while his suite can reach them where he can't. Massoud ends up grabbed by the herbivore mouth and then thrown against the tower or any other surface, killing him instantly. An additional idea could be the titanosaur provoking small "earthquakes" when he strikes the ground with his forefeet, destabilizing Claire on top of the tower (she even almost falls).
Depending on the pace, there could be at the same time a suspenseful scene in the archives involving some creatures from the labs or the kennels. If the archives are low enough, maybe they'll get inundated because of the flood and the threat could be a semi-aquatic creature contained in the Citadel or brought by the flood (like the temnospondyl; while Nothosaurus, which had a small appearance in my JW rewrite, could be an alternative choice, with individuals housed in the kennels).
Prometheus' fate
After giving a few kicks while repelling her last harassers, Claire manages to properly realign the antenna and Wu successfully transmit the Destroy order to the Hexapod Allies agents. We cut to them as they destroy the locusts in their containers. When he receives their confirmation, the geneticist is relieved. But just as Claire is about to return to Dodgson's office, she sees a *Variraptor (*if it's chosen as Brontes' suite. If not, it will be some relatively large feathered coelurosaurian from the labs in order to make the parallels with Prometheus work) getting to its entrance first. Wu just has the time to barricade himself in the bedroom adjacent to the office but he knows the door won't hold long. Something (Brontes passing his head through a window and trying to attack her?) prevents her from reaching the office. She tells Wu to hold while she tries to save him but he asks her to instead save herself, wishing her a long and happy life. He bids her farewell and wait for his death while Claire escapes the tower. The raptor ends up breaking through the door and it pounce on Wu. While the predator starts devouring him, his cane falls on the ground and its amber pommel shatters.
Owen's decision
Just as the Owen and Dougal are about to start a new attempt in capturing Victoria, a pack of Achillobators (the same one which allied with Claire in the previous night) shows up and our duo hide while the raptors spot Victoria. At first, Owen fears they'll hurt or even kill her. He thinks about intervening, even if he might risk his own life, but after sniffing the young and scared Achillobator, the pack leader gently guides her towards her pack. Owen and Dougal watch the raptors disappear in the darkness. Dougal ask Owen if he'll do something but the Raptor Whisperer says nothing, willing to let Victoria live with a pack and without unnecessary human interference in her life. They head back to the Citadel.
The tower and the tyrannosaur
Kayla and Bigelow arrive by one of the observation towers, the one closest from the mountain path they're heading to. Nearby, the Special Forces' helicopter shot down by that of the raiders and the surrounding vegetation still burns. Just as they are about to climb to its observation bay in order to raid the tower for anything useful before starting the mountains' ascent, they are surrounded by a pack of small carnivores (just like Claire with the dilophosaurs in Trevorrow's version). Before they attack, a horn blast is heard. It's Drummond and after the palaeontologist insists with his portable horn (similar to the one Nigel Marven use against the velociraptors in The Giant Claw), the small carnivores scatter. He asks the two women if they're friends or foes, if they count among Dodgson's friends. Kayla answers that since Dodgson tried to sacrifice her to an Acrocanthosaurus, the answer is no for her, before adding that it ate Dodgson instead. Drummond is glad to hear that and he tells Maisie she can come. The teenager, hidden until there amidst the vegetation, joins them. Having heard Dodgson complaining about Maisie's escape, Bigelow is aware she must be very important but still wary, Drummond whisper to Maisie to not say a single word about the flash drive she's carrying. The two duos talk about their objectives and discover that they're the same. For better chances of survival, they decide to head together for the mountain's path.
But a tyrannosaur, the same one which Claire released earlier, makes its appearance while they're walking away from the tower. It saw them and they know that they better seek refuge in the tower than attempt to run from the predator. At first, they try to stay still, in order to not trigger its attack, but when he notices that the predator wouldn't mind eat one or two of them, Drummond tells Maisie and the two women to run. While they rush to the tower, he distracts the rex by agitating a burning branch. Afraid of the fire, the rex seek to avoid the branch and see the three other humans climbing the tower's ladder. The predator bypass Drummond and in its dash towards the tower, it sends the palaeontologist flying away with its tail. As such thing would have easily killed someone, Maisie fears the worst for him and when his motionless body falls into a ravine, the audience think it's over for him. Maisie panics while the rex has its jaws locked around the ladder's protective cage. What follows is pretty much similar to the Giganotosaurus' attack on the tower scene from Trevorrow's version, except that the final outcome will be quite different. As the observation towers' power has been turned off from the control room in order to save power for more urgent systems, our three protagonists can't have the observation bay rise to the top of the tower, where they would be safe from the rex. To make matters worse, another threat arrive.
I haven't decided which yet but the idea I'm having now is a group of pterosaurs, probably pteranodons, which targets our trio and chase the rex away from the tower by pecking at his head. Another manages to grab Maisie and take her out of the tower. However, the pterosaur let her go before it can be above the canopy due to some incident (another harassing it probably) and Maisie falls into dense bushes at a certain distance from the tower, out of the two women's sight. In the meantime, a mist has started descending from the mountains. Bigelow and Kayla exit the tower and begin searching for Maisie in the area, fearing she got herself hurt in the fall. To cover a maximum of ground before the mist reaches them, they decide to split up.
The end of a line
We see Maisie managing to stand up and while she got bruises**,** she seems relatively fine and still in walking condition. Now lost and alone in the middle of the woods, she's very scared though and starts screaming to help. In the silent forest, Kayla hears her voice and follows it. Just as the mist is about to reach Maisie, the smuggler sees the teenager in the distance and calls for her. But when she hears heavy footsteps and a rumble coming from just behind Maisie, in the mist, her heart stops and she's aghast when she sees the tyrannosaur's silhouette closing to the girl's. Before Maisie can flee, the predator open its maws, grabs her and swallow her whole before disappearing in the forest's shadows (the scene is meant to be a mirror of one from my JW rewrite, where the death of a little girl during the pterosaurs' attack on the main hub is concealed by smoke while Claire watch helplessly). Thus ends Lockwood's line, indirectly destroyed by Claire Dearing.
Bigelow arrives in her turn and sees the smuggler kneeled on the ground, speechless, too shocked by the scene she just saw. Understanding what happened, the CIA agent has an "Oh. Shit..." face and tells Kayla they have to leave the valley while they still can, as she doesn't know what the Italians will do with it once it's taken, even fearing that it might be firebombed in order to destroy the perpetrators of the various incidents of the past months.
While the two women head for the mountain's path and the mist passes away, Drummond is seen climbing out of the ravine and starts to call for Maisie, in vain. Seeing the destroyed observation bay empty, he looks around for clues about Maisie's or the women's whereabouts. He ends up stumbling on the rex's tracks and follows them up to the spot where the teenager last stood. There he finds Wu's flash drive and seeing some blood stains around, he realizes she is no more. This deeply saddens him and this loss and failure just add another load on his self-loathing, as he would have gladly died between the jaws of the king of the dinosaurs if it could have saved Maisie's life. Instead of trying to follow Kayla and Bigelow, he goes in the opposite direction, towards the valley itself.
Leaving the Sanctuary
While looking to reach the auditorium, Claire is forced to hide in one of the labs from dilophosaurs roaming in the area.
In the archives, Vuillier and Nyamu finally put their hands on the documents they were looking for and take them. They and the grey guards' archives team then leave the room and head to the auditorium, in order to reunite with Viscontini and co. On the way, they have to pass between the legs of Brontes while he's distracted by the grey guards. When they reach the auditorium, Viscontini tells them that helicopters are waiting for them. One of the aircrafts is on its way to pick up the Owen and Dougal.
Escorted by the Carabinieri and the Special Forces, the surviving Biosyn employees are evacuated from the Citadel and when the grey guards retreat from their confrontation against Brontes, Vuillier asks them if they've seen Claire coming back but they answer that no. He contacts her and she tells him that she's being delayed.
We see her evading the dilophosaurs which were about to discover her and leaving the labs. Now, start for her an Uncharted-esque race through the Citadel where she has to cross various obstacles and avoid/outrun the loose creatures within it (including the dilophosaurs mentioned above). Still pissed, Brontes targets her and chases her up to her extraction point. Before the Argentinosaurus can close his mouth on her, she jumps into one of the helicopters where Owen and Dougal are waiting for her. The two men help her get inside and their helicopter fly away from the Citadel while the sauropod lets out a mighty bellow.
The protagonists leave the valley and the helicopters which drop them off at Biosyn employees' village, which has been taken over by the Italians and the Austrians in the meantime.
A bitter dawn
While the first sun rays reach the valley, Drummond stumble upon the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus Quasimodo in the area devastated by the flood, in sight of the now destroyed south-eastern wall. Surprised by the waters near the road battlefield, the predator was carried on a certain distance before ending up blocked by rocks and then impaled by a tree. When the palaeontologist finds him, he's dead. Disgusted by the animal, Drummond first tries to ignore him and continue towards the wall, intending to reach the village beyond it, but he turns back and carefully approach him. Tired from his night-long trek, Drummond sit on a rock just next to Quasimodo's head and still quite shaken by Maisie's death and the disaster, Drummond start to ramble about various topics (about the evolution of palaeontology since the San Diego incident, his wife, working at Biosyn, Theo's and Maisie's death...) before breaking down in tears and he can't hold himself from calling Quasimodo a Manmade abomination which deserved to be destroyed by Nature. While looking towards the destroyed wall, the palaeontologist start to regret those harsh words and pulls out a flask of whisky from his bag. After drinking a sip, he puts it back in the bag and just sit silently by the dead animal for a few minutes, up until some Quetzalcoatlus land nearby. The gigantic pterosaurs walk up to the dead Acrocanthosaurus and ignoring Drummond as a way bigger meal is just in front of them, they start feasting. While they do so, Drummond follows the flood's desolation towards the Citadel and he is soon spotted by the men tasked with finding him.
Of rivalries and world-saving
In the morning, Claire steps out of the accommodation assigned to her and Owen within Biosyn's Village. She sees Drummond giving Wu's flash drive to Vuillier before taking his leave. After joining her boss, Claire ponders about her relationship with Wu, on how both destroyed Jurassic World five years ago and how they pretty much saved the world that night. She and Vuillier have a respectful moment of silence for their deceased enemy.
In the abandoned citadel, it's revealed that one of the locusts survived. It's seen crawling on the ground, towards one of the vents. But just before it could reach it, a Mononykus (freed from one of the cages during the raid) swoops on it and devours it.
League of Dragons
As she is crossing the village, Claire passes by one of the remaining Biosyn guards. It's actually the Romanian one, the one who saw her by the panic room. Frightened as hell, he moves away from her while yelling "Dracul! Dracul!", still traumatized by the past night's events. Claire briefly wonders why he is yelling and running away before she gets surrounded by other Biosyn guards and Lucrezia Pellegrino. The Citadel's head of security explains that he called her a dragon because of what he saw and some of the guards start throwing insults at Claire, calling her a monster and a butcher, and she realize that they and their superior want to avenge those she killed. Pellegrino adds that by sending dinosaurs on people who oppose her, Claire is no better than Dodgson on that matter.
Nearby, Owen sees his fiancée surrounded and when one of the Biosyn guards throws a stone at Claire, he gets furious, tackles him on the ground and starts to beat him up. As another guard pulls out a knife (which he hid when they had to give their weapons to the authorities) and is about to stab Owen, the surviving grey guards suddenly intervene, getting the couple out of the Biosyn ambush and then confronting the attackers, standing by Claire's and Owen's side. The grey guards retort to their opponents that their comrades could have denounced the Sanctuary's illegal activities, surrendered, deserted or arrested Dodgson while they could but did nothing, before adding that without Claire, they would have all eaten nothing but locusts in a near future. The Biosyn guards feel insulted however and as an ugly fight is about to break out between both groups, the Carabinieri are forced to intervene and assign them to opposite parts of the village.
The press, who just entered the Biosyn's lands, has witnessed the confrontation and so did Vuillier and Nyamu. The latter tells the Frenchman that since Claire pretty much saved the world, Odegaard could give her a well-deserved break, literally and figuratively.
Debate
In the village's equivalent of a community centre, a meeting about the incident's consequences and what to do with the Sanctuary and its animals is held. Among the attendees, are:
- The WDMC and the people directly affiliated to it: Claire, Owen, Dougal, Vuillier, and Nyamu.
- Representatives of the Italian government: Viscontini, Giovanni Pazzi, and a few local politicians.
- The surviving Biosyn executives and top researchers: Drummond, Pellegrino, Quinn.
During the meeting, we learn that:
- Dodgson was found, or at least five or six pieces of him.
- Some of the Sanctuary's denizens managed to flee the valley and are now somewhere in the Italian countryside. Among the escapees are Victoria and her new pack of Achillobators.
- Exterminators led by the surviving grey guards are about to be sent in the amber mines to slaughter the pectinodons down to the last individual and the species will be soon classified as a pest in Italy, Austria and probably other countries.
Several solutions for the valley, its denizens and the Citadel are discussed:
- Cull the animals, cleanse the valley of Biosyn's traces, and give it back to the inhabitants expropriated by the corporation when it decided to have the entire valley and some of the surrounding lands for itself and no one else.
- Abandoning the valley, let the animals fend for themselves and hope that "life will find a way", even if it poses huge risks for the local populations and ecosystems.
- Dispatch the surviving animals to zoos and other entities which can legally house dangerous captive animals. Proceeding like this will allow de-extinct creatures to no longer be in the ownership of a single entity like Biosyn or InGen.
- Round up the loose animals, cleanse the battle's and the flood's damages, and turn the place into a real Sanctuary for de-extinct animals. Not a "Kruger with dinosaurs" like the Five Deaths but more like a non-profit place with enclosures (akin to many sanctuaries for wild animals across the globe). It will be a public-private joint-venture, with the sanctuary co-managed by the UN's WDMC and the Italian government while private partners will help finance it (Nathan Quinn propose to be one of those but Vuillier, Dougal and a few others distrust him and prefer to not have some of Dodgson's former collaborators on the project). And in order to ensure good relations with the local communities, jobs will be offered to the area's inhabitants and some lands given back to them. Shall this solution be adopted, Vuillier proposes to have Claire Dearing as its manager, Owen Grady its head warden, Rod Drummond its chief researcher, and Laurenzo Cesare as head of security, if they accept. Pellegrino storms off at this moment, disgusted that they're about to leave her without a job and rewarding Claire, an unrepentant psychopath in her eyes. In a moment of consultation amidst the meeting, Claire tells Vuillier she'll probably refuse becoming the sanctuary's manager if this solution is adopted, telling him that she has the feeling that her future lies elsewhere and that she'll continue work as a field agent if he don't mind. Vuillier, who clearly saw how Claire evolved since she started playing spies back in 2019 and decided to close his eyes on her exactions, suggest her to settle for a quieter less-violent life and declares that managing the Sanctuary could be the ultimate redemption for her. Still shaken by the amount of violence she had to commit in order to stop Biosyn and desiring to spend more time with her son, she ends up being persuaded and accept the idea.
The different solutions are being debated for weeks if not months within the Italian government and the UN.
End of Act IV.
See you tomorrow for the final Act and the Epilogue.
2023.06.08 12:16 TheGeekyZoologist Jurassic World: The Hegemony of Biosyn (JWD rewrite) - Act IV (1/2)
Acts I to III are available in my previous posts. This act is the longest of all and thus, I've been forced to divide it into two posts. Make sure you're comfortable. Enjoy your read!
While Ramsay is secretly covering them in the control room, Wu and Theo enters Katia Lesser's lab and with Rod Drummond's unexpected help (he's tired of working for Biosyn and intend to get out of the valley), they neutralize the scientist and frees Maisie from her cell. They then cross the other secret labs within Biosyn's Citadel and we several interesting elements:
- Dissected animals are seen in one of the labs while others are suffering medical experiments.
- In one of the sections, there are ten rooms. Nine of them are empty and in the tenth one, there are nothing but locusts, which surprise Theo. However, Drummond points out they don't exactly look like ordinary locusts (they're only slightly bigger than modern locusts. They could even be portrayed by real locusts (a bit enlarged by visual tricks) if this was a film) and noticing Wu's guilty look, the two men and Maisie realize he had a role in their creation). But he doesn't have the time to give explanations about those locusts.
- Another room has a window which overlooks a large dark bunker-like hall. In its darkness, they glimpse the shape of a large theropod with raised dorsal spines and crocodile-like scutes but when he sees the creature a bit more clearly, Drummond says something like "Those idiots made their cheap Godzilla knockoff!", recognizing the creature from the short film he mentioned to Wu in the Drinking Confession scene. He calls the mysterious theropod an "Ugly bastard" and a perversion of real dinosaurs.
After the labs, they head for the metro station just as planned but due to his lame leg (in TRQ, it was pierced by one of the Indoraptor's claws), Wu can't go with them and decides to stay in order to win some time for them. He and Maisie have a last look/exchange, with the teenager finally showing Wu some genuine respect and gratitude. Wu gives Theo a flash drive, urging him to send its content to Guillaume Vuillier of the WDMC as it contains the evidences of a scourge Biosyn intend to release soon. They separate, with Wu going in the opposite direction.
While the guards are chasing Wu, Maisie, Theo and Rod enter the metro and picks one of the stations on the eastern side of Auronzo (actually one of the observation towers). The metro leave the Citadel, following the valley loop. However, the metro system was badly designed and it can only follow the loop in a clockwise direction, forcing them to make a considerable detour and waste precious minutes.
Wu is soon caught and Dodgson's arrival in the control room prevents Ramsay from further helping the fugitives. Seeing one of the metro heading east, Dodgson has it stopped halfway of its journey and orders the guards to go inside the tunnels and bring back Maisie. Aware that Wu betrayed him, Dodgson takes a tablet and activates a certain Prometheus protocol.
Underground, Maisie, Theo and Drummond are forced to leave the metro and they try to find an exit before the guards can catch them. They find a door on the side and breaking it, they enter another smaller tunnel. However, the ground is slippery and they fall, descending further down into the darkness.
When the guards sent in the tunnels tell Dodgson that they lost Maisie, the CEO has a fit of anger.
The old amber mines
After their fall, Maisie, Theo and Drummond discover that they're in the old amber mines, which Biosyn exploited until their depletion, and search for an exit. Drummond also mentions that the valley's underground is like a cheese and that he wouldn't be surprised if some tunnels lead outside of the valley, which would explain all the incidents which occurred in the past year. During their crossing of the mines, they find several human skeletons or remains. It's implied that it's all the undesirable people who trespassed into the valley (governments' and rival companies' spies, anti-Biosyn activists...).
Should the giant temnospondyl be scrapped from the frozen lake sequence, it's probably going to be included here, as there are underground rivers and reservoirs by the mines.
Aviano Air Base
At Aviano Air Base, at the very gates of the Alps, Jessica Bigelow boards a US air force helicopter which takes her to Auronzo.
Prometheus Protocol
Wu is brought to Dodgson, which shows him a screen. Wu is aghast as it's a Twitter feed with the following hashtag #MadScientistWu, which is trending. Dodgson then explains that he had a file containing evidences of Wu's ethical misbehaviour (his work on the Indominus and Indoraptor, and especially the use of human DNA in their making ..) be made and ready to be sent to the media at once should he betray him. His reputation being destroyed for good, Wu breaks down and Dodgson orders the guards to bring him to Dr Lesser's lab and put him in Maisie's cell. Several characters (Ramsay, Pellegrino, Chapman, Everett...) watch Wu being led away by the guards.
With Mia Everett being nearby, Dodgson declares that Biosyn shouldn't have accepted a single InGen employees within its ranks has they have been nothing but traitors and burdens, before announcing to Mia he finally decided to pull the plug on her research program, as her rival and his team have much more promising results and shall be soon covered in glory.
Raiding and Betrayal
While the afternoon reaches its end, Owen, Dougal and Kayla end up near one of the Sanctuary's seven observation towers. There's no one inside and Kayla suggest entering it to raid some of the supplies it contains. She also tells her two companions that there is a metro station beneath each of the towers, stations connected to the Citadel by the tunnels. Thinking they could infiltrate the Citadel by those tunnels, Dougal agrees with her plan and the trio enters the tower and steal the needed supplies but a drone has spotted them. Just as they are about to follow the tunnels, they notice flashlights, those of incoming Biosyn guards. They climb back to the top of the tower but a security vehicle parks in front of the building and other guards step out of it. Surrounded, the trio prepare for a siege inside the tower but just as the guards are about to enter, Kayla points her weapon on Dougal's head and tells Owen to drop his or his colleague dies.
From the nearby forest, Claire witnesses the capture of her two colleagues and watches the Biosyn Security vehicle taking Kayla and the prisoners to the Citadel while the sound of helicopters approaching can be heard.
The board arrives
The helicopter(s) transporting Biosyn's board of directors lands on the Citadel's helipad and its passengers (which include Nathan Quinn and Zoe Murdoch) are welcomed by Dodgson and Ramsay.
Obstinacy
At the same time, Jessica Bigelow is brought to the Citadel and asks to see Dodgson but Murdoch stands in her way, claiming he's very busy. The CIA agent insists and Dodgson finally listens to what she has to say. But he wants to carry on with his event whatever happens, but reassure her as for Biosyn's most important research: They're already on a hard-drive in his office.
The cells
We cut to Owen and Dougal as they are locked up in a cell in the Security HQ. Kayla is standing outside, next to Pellegrino who's interrogating the two men about their mission and Claire's whereabouts. The smuggler reveals to the two WDMC agents that powerful friends suggested to her to let herself be arrested by the Italians as they expected they'll use her as a Trojan horse. She adds that there's nothing personal, she's just thinking about herself. While Pellegrino carries on with her questions, Kayla leaves the Security HQ and meets Bigelow by its exit (telling the audience that Kayla's powerful friends are the CIA). She asks her about their next moves and the CIA agent answers that the two of them will leave the valley with Dodgson and his escort. Back in the cell, Owen and Dougal hope Claire will succeed.
Unleashed dragon
As she's nearing the Citadel, Claire is spotted by a patrol of mercenaries or a drone. They chase after her and in her flight, she ends up in an enclosed part of the Sanctuary with several paddocks and cages. Several of them contain animals and it's implied that it's where Biosyn keeps those it just acquired or bred before releasing them in the valley. One of the cages contains a tyrannosaur and just as the mercenaries are about to catch her, Claire releases the predator and the mercenaries panic, triggering the rex's attack. It kills them before turning towards Claire, who's crouched and not making a single move. The rex sniffs her lengthily and Claire notices it's the animal she saw the day before, which left the droppings she used to mask her scent... The rex leaves Claire alone and disappears in the woods, heading north while Claire heads in the opposite direction. On the way, she sees a mysterious large theropod (she and the audience have visual obstacles which prevents them from clearly seeing it but we know it's the one from the bunker under the Citadel) being transported towards the western part of the valley.
In the besiegers' camp
While the sun is setting, a meeting is held in one of the besiegers camp's tents. Among the attendees are Vuillier, Nyamu, Viscontini, the leader of the Carabinieri Colonel Orlando Pasolini, and those of the Italian and Austrian Special Forces (and Pazzi through videoconference as he's still in Rome). They're talking about Biosyn's defenses and forces, the species which might be encountered in the Sanctuary, eventual negotiation strategies, the WDMC agents' mission, the grey guards who are in the valley and currently heading to the Citadel... Argument breaks out as some (like Pazzi) advocates for an immediate offensive, to surprise Dodgson and prevent him from fleeing or preparing some nasty surprise, while others want to wait until dawn, to let time for the grey guards and the eventual surviving WDMC agents to accomplish their mission in addition of avoiding sending men in a valley full of deadly animals in the dark of the night. Pazzi is for an immediate offensive and gives his blessing to colonel Pasolini.
Worried about the fate of his agents, Vuillier contacts the grey guards, which are already heading to the Citadel, following a path in the uplands.
The US spies
From a nearby wood, some people are seen spying the camp and northern entrance of Biosyn's lands. We cut to a meeting room inside the CIA's headquarters at Langley where Gibbon and his colleagues just received news that an offensive is about to start at Auronzo. Some ask the head of the DSD news about his agent inside Biosyn's Citadel.
Open the gates
Bigelow, with Ramsay's help, is trying to persuade Dodgson to cancel the event, take the hard-drive with the key research, and secretly evacuate Auronzo before ordering the control room to open the gates and let the Italian authorities in. While those would be searching through the Citadel, they would leave the area by the mountains before heading to a secret safehouse. Dodgson complains that the only help the US government sends is her but she mockingly retorts that the US won't risk a war with Italy and Austria just because of him and that had he been more careful, all that mess wouldn't have happened.
Watching footage of the besiegers' camp, Dodgson finally orders the opening of the northern gate. He and Ramsay then go to the auditorium, where Biosyn's board and other important figures are waiting for the CEO.
The convoy
Believing Dodgson finally surrendered, Colonel Pasolini and most of his Carabinieri enter Biosyn's lands while the Italian and Austrian Special Forces remain in the camp. After passing by the mercenaries (who were ordered by Dodgson to stand down) and the airstrip, the convoy enters a narrow pass through the mountains, the same one through which the hunters were brought to the Sanctuary.
Chips
In the Citadel's auditorium, Dodgson begins his presentation with a speech about how dinosaurs and other de-extinct animals were used since InGen first cloned them. At the same time, all the non-essential employees are gathered in the cafeteria and locked there by the mercenaries on his orders while others are deployed in some of the Citadel's most strategic locations (the control room, the labs' entrance...)
Meanwhile, the Carabinieri convoy has entered the Sanctuary and following the main road to the Citadel, they pass by the lake seen in A bed in the trees scene and several animals, including predators, which do nothing but watch the convoy. Drones are seen flying above the Italian vehicles. However, just as the Citadel is visible in the distance, the convoy stops when the first vehicle notices that a fallen tree is lying across the road. While it's quite large, said tree is still light enough to be moved by a group of people and with a lot of effort. Colonel Pasolini orders for a certain number of his men to get out and move the tree out of their way but while they start accomplishing their task, the Carabinieri feels the ground trembling beneath their feet and they and those still in the vehicles see ripples in the water puddles along the road. A racket starts to be heard in the woods on both sides of the road and in the distance, trees can be heard being jostled or even falling. Aware that large dinosaurs must be nearby, Pasolini orders his men to get back inside the vehicles and to the last in the convoy to return to the last crossroads and search another way to the Citadel. But just as said vehicle turns around, a tree falls across the road, larger than the one ahead of the convoy. The latter is now stuck between the two fallen trees and when they see human silhouettes running away from the one behind the convoy, the Carabinieri realize that they've fallen into an ambush (hearing the Carabinieri's communications on the radio, Vuillier and Viscontini wonder what treachery Dodgson has planned). Meanwhile, the drones have returned over the convoy and the racket in the woods gets closer and closer and the people in the convoy glimpse three large necks rising from the forest: argentinosaurs, charging argentinosaurs. Frightened at such a sight, the Carabineri are struck with fear and just as the sauropods are about to burst out of the forest at any second, a dreadful booming sound (similar to that of the orcs horns in Battle of the Five Armies; or the reapers' sound from the Mass Effect series) comes from speakers on some nearby elevation and in response, the sauropods let out a deafening bellow heard across much of the Sanctuary. Before they can take action, the Carabinieri are attacked by the argentinosaurs and their suite of small predators.
In the control room, Pellegrino witnesses the attack through some drone visuals and is wondering how it happened. She orders the technicians to send a signal in the sauropods' brain chips (during the Inspection scene at the beginning of the story, Pellegrino explain to the group that the Sanctuary animals are chipped) in order to make them stop but when they try to send the signal, the get an error notification, and one of the technicians say that either the chips fried and are driving the animals mad, or they were hacked. Pellegrino then asks to deactivate the aerial defense system to let the besiegers fly their helicopters into the valley but she's told that some program recently inserted prevent them from doing that for the entire duration of the prenstation. Powerless, the head of security watches the argentinosaurs crushing vehicles and men under their feet, and their suites of small predators harassing them. She's even more surprised when a few Ankylosaurus (first glimpsed in the news montage when the report talks about "tailored dinosaurs". Compared to those from the fossil record and those made by InGen, those Ankylosaurus are bigger and more high-legged, giving them enhanced mobility. Design-wise, it's basically the one from the actual JW films, albeit perhaps more intimidating) join the fray. Having suspicions, she head for the auditorium.
After learning that Pasolini and his Carabinieri fell into an ambush, an offensive is launched against the walls of Biosyn lands. Vuillier and Viscontini watch the Italian and Austrian Special Forces engaging the mercenaries defending the walls by the airstrip. They hope they'll soon make a breach so they can reach the convoy before it's too late (they know they can't send helicopters due the pterosaurs acting as the Citadel's aerial defense).
In the valley, one of the Carabinieri notice that the animal isn't acting on its own will (it's seen blocking its movements for a short moment, like someone resisting to a possession) and even seems in pain.
We cut to the auditorium and his observation is confirmed, with Dodgson explaining to the board of directors that thanks to chips (originally designed by Mantah Corp but Dodgson being Dodgson, he doesn't mention that and instead give the credit to the team rival of Mia's), they can control the animals like puppets. He precise that while the chips work well on some animals, trials have failed with others (like the raptors). On the auditorium's giant screen, various diagrams and footage of trials are seen.
We then follow another POV, that of technicians inside a command centre-like room. The technicians are sitting in front of monitors and each of them is seen typing on keyboards, giving instructions to the argentinosaurs' and ankylosaurs' chips (on the monitors, the audience can notice that they give names to each of the animals. For example, the three Argentinosaurus are named Brontes, Steropes, and Arges; after three of the cyclops from Greek Mythology). Through their drones or even micro cameras attached to the dinosaurs, they see the Carabinieri fleeing northwards while some of the Italians retaliate to the attack by shooting on the dinosaurs. But their weapons are ineffective against the argentinosaurs' hide and the ankylosaurs' armours. On the order of a mercenary officer, the technicians send a second wave of animals.
The speakers make once again their awful booming sound, exacerbating the animals' aggressiveness, and the second wave emerges from the forest. Before the scene cuts, we see it's made of, among other things, a Gigantoraptor (named Jabberwocky on its controlling technician's monitor), a couple of Quetzalcoatlus, probably some medium-large theropods like Allosaurus or Carnotaurus, a Biosyn Triceratops, and maybe even some Hyaenodon/sabre-toothed felid (depends on which will appear in the fighting pit in Malta) and Gigantopithecus recently imported to Auronzo. Many of those new attackers wear armor pieces comparable to those of police and military dogs or horses.
In the auditorium, the giant screen ends up showing the battle occurring in the valley. Dodgson's audience gasps when they see the drones' footage. One of the board members ask: "It's from a video game? Right?"
NOTE: I fear that there might be too many animals and different species involved in the battle. The mandatory ones are the following: Argentinosaurus (maybe have more than three individuals? The Brontes-Steropes-Arges trio could be seen charging abreast, evoking from afar a single three-headed gigantic beast) and their suite, Triceratops (which will illustrate itself soon and show how it's different from InGen's trikes), Gigantoraptor (in order to have a faster and more agile creature in the lot), and another player foreshadowed in earlier scenes (you'll know which when we'll return to the battle).
Sneaking into the Citadel
While battle just broke out further west, a Biosyn guard posted by a large gate carved at the base of the mountain near the Citadel spots a hooded silhouette under the trees: Claire. She retreats into the darkness and as a huge reward has been promised to anyone who would capture Vuillier's she-wolf, he runs after her. However, just like the colleagues she killed the day before, she lures him into an ambush and neutralizes him. She then steals his uniform and badge, and use the latter to open the gate, entering in an underground corridor, large enough to allow the transportation of large animals like the mysterious big theropod she glimpsed earlier. She follows it towards the Citadel.
Unbeknownst to her, the grey guards have also started their infiltration in the Citadel, by walking down the slopes behind the central tower. After neutralizing the few Biosyn guards positioned there, they enter the garden around the tower. In the latter's shadow, they split up in four groups, each heading into different parts of the Citadel:
- Cesare, Olivares and another are tasked with entering the labs.
- Perez, Al-Damiri and a third team member must take over the control room at the top of the tower.
- Chapuy and two others are tasked with searching the archives under the tower and preventing anyone from destroying the documents.
- Massoud, Kapakas and Papadopoulos must find the cells and free the WDMC agents if they're there.
The Battle of Auronzo
Following the road, the retreating Carabinieri reach the Valley's main river and the bridge the convoy crossed on the way just a few minutes ago. However, a controlled animal charging from the other side of the river prevents the first Carabinieri from taking it and they are forced to cross the cold waters of the river itself (it's thigh-deep at best) while the controlled animals are right on their heels. Several Carabinieri get killed during the crossing while some of their colleagues are cut off from them and must escape into the woods on the southern side of the river. Luckily, the controlling technicians didn't notice them. Once Pasolini and his remaining men are all on the other side of the river with the few vehicles they could have gotten out of the ambush site, the controlling technicians have their animals stopped just at the edge. A last animal codenamed Quasimodo arrive on the battlefield, a large Biosyn-made predator which visually, looks like a perversion of the real animal which makes up its base genome: It's the monstrous theropod from the bunker, an Acrocanthosaurus whose DNA was spliced with that of other animals, including crocodile (due to the croc fetish of some Biosyn executives) in order to be bigger and more "Monstrous and cooler-looking" than InGen's Acrocanthosaurus (yes, it's just JWD's Giganotosaurus with a different name). The apex predator makes his way through the other animals, which are seen looking at him with fright (in case of the smaller species) or irritation (in case of the Argentinosaurus and the other megaherbivores) but still controlled, they can't run away or fight it. As they're not controlled by the chips, the members of the Argentinosaurus' suite are showing aggression and one of them dares to attack him, but Quasimodo just grabs it in the air and eats it, discouraging the others from attacking as long as the sauropods won't. Quasimodo then stops in front of the bridge and looks at the Carabinieri on the other side. Confronted to this surreal sight, Pasolini don't know if they shall continue their retreat northwards or wait and hope for reinforcements' arrival.
While the animals are eerily standing still by the river, Dodgson exposes an idea to the board: They will bred new animals which aren't in their official catalogue, secretly release them in various parts of the globe, create "controlled" incidents and then get contracted by governments to capture the animals (capture which will be very easy with the chips, barely an inconvenience...) and send them to Auronzo. Biosyn will be both the disease and the cure, getting profits from this endless cycle of incidents and capture and obtaining absolute control on genetic power while their remaining competitors will die one by one. Basically, they'll soon become the equivalent in the Bio-engineering world of the British East India Company, something InGen aspired to be before crumbling. The CEO adds that his friends within the US government are already very interested by this technology.
Hidden in a technical room right behind the auditorium's stage, Pellegrino heard Dodgson bragging about controlling the animals. Realizing that he's so mad that he is slaughtering her fellow countrymen just to sell a technology, she takes a potentially fatal decision.
Back at the camp near the airstrip, Viscontini tells Vuillier that someone within the Italian government must have warned Dodgson, explaining how he got the time to do his nasty preparations. As the Special Forces just defeated the mercenaries guarding the northern entrance of Biosyn's lands and took the airstrip, Vuillier and Nyamu join them, asking for a weapon and climbing into one of their vehicles, refusing to stay safely in the camp while their friends and colleagues are in danger of death within the valley.
The speakers let out a third blast and hearing it, the few Carabinieri south of the river turn towards its origin. They see the speaker and an movable antenna on a nearby ridge and are aware that it must have something to do with the animals' unnatural behaviour. They rush towards it, hoping to save their comrades.
Irritated by the third blast, the controlled animals stamp and growl/bellow for a moment, before their controlling technicians orders them to move forward, as they were ordered to crush the Carabinieri before the arrival of their allies. While the other animals cross the river, Quasimodo the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus takes the bridge, accelerating his pace little by little before roaring and dashing on the Carabinieri. Aware that they'll be all slaughtered within a few minutes if they just stand there, Pasolini ordered to his men a few moments before to scatter in every direction and flee as long as possible in order to win time while the remaining vehicles will be either used to carry a maximum amount of men to the nearest shelter (could be the Hunting Lodge) before coming back and picking up those they can. Pasolini volunteers to stay on foot.
While flying between the speakers and the river, one of the drones spot the Carabinieri left south of the river. Noticing those troublemakers, the controlling technicians recall two of the animals from the battlefield (probably one of the Argentinosaurus and the Gigantoraptor).
On the other side of the river, the rest of the controlled animals have started attacking Pasolini and his men. The argentinosaurs charge through the forest and crush the Carabinieri like ants while their predatory auxiliaries harass them; the trike basically acts like a giant version of the boar from Australian horror film Razorback, charging, goring with its horns, and cutting off limbs with its sharp beak; Quasimodo devour several of the Italians... Colonel Pasolini ends up killed by one of the creatures and his death ruins the morale of his men who are about to rout.
Meanwhile, reactions among Dodgson's audience are varied:While some are captivated, others are not sure what to think about using the Carabinieri as guinea pigs, and one or two are disgusted. Nathan Quinn has a neutral attitude (he's interested by the technology but even if he strongly disapproves the actual demonstration and the bloodbath, he doesn't show it) while Ramsay avoid looking at the screen.
Hearing one of the Argentinosaurus bulldozing its way through the forest behind them just as they are about to reach the speakers and the antenna, the other Carabinieri start to run but during their race, they are surprised by the Gigantoraptor when it kills one of the Carabinieri, acting a bit like an oversized terror bird. They are forced to climb into a tree near a cliff's edge in order to escape it, with even another of the Carabinieri sacrificing himself to let the others climb high reach its targets, the Gigantoraptor tries to climb on the tree but to no avail, as it's too big. However, the tree bends and ends up uprooted under its assaults. Our characters are now hanging on an horizontal tree which will probably soon fall if the theropod keeps kicking it under its controller's command. They can't escape by one end as the Gigantoraptor is waiting for them and to make matters worse, the Argentinosaurus appears below the cliff and it can raise its head almost high enough to grab our characters. They can't escape.
Sneaky as a viper
After passing by the entrance of the large bunker where the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus was contained, Claire decides to pass by the vents after hearing some guards.
The Goblins of Nublar
During their journey through the amber mines, Maisie, Theo and Drummond stumble upon a lone Pectinodon. Remembering what he said earlier about the network of tunnels and its potential exits leading out of the valley, Drummond realize that the Pectinodons, and not the raptors, were involved in several of the external incidents (including the one from the Prologue). As he had to capture some of those creatures in a post-apocalyptic Nublar for Mills and Wu while he was part of Wheatley's mercenary company, Theo warns his companions about the danger of those animals. Maisie remembers having seen babies of those animals in the manor's basement along all the others Mills sold in his secret auction. The lone Pectinodon let out a series of calls and soon, an entire pack threatens our protagonists.
Ensue a scene where they have to repel them (Drummond tries to use the portable horn he has in his bag in order to scare the pectinodons but they're not impressed) and flee. However, Theo is bitten during that scene and his two companions notice this during a brief moment of respite. Maisie hopes they could perhaps find some cure but Theo answers that while one exists, they won't reach it in time. He adds that the venom will drive him mad (as seen in JPTG and mentioned in TRQ) and turn him into a danger for them. While his mind is still clear, he give Wu's flash drive to Maisie, has farewell words with her, asks Drummond to take care of her, and then runs back to where they came from, intending to win some time for them. While Maisie and Rod flee, Theo stands in the tunnel, preventing the pectinodons from going any further. He battles them to the death, taking several to the grave with him. An alternative could be him attracting a maximum of pectinodons in a room where he either provokes a crumbling, either a flooding, something that kills Theo and his attackers.
Finding a ladder, Maisie and Drummond follows it and climb out of the mines, narrowly escaping the pectinodons. They are back to the surface, somewhere in the northern part of the valley, not far from the dam. The palaeontologist then takes the traumatized teenager to the nearest tower, where they rest and resupply for a time.
Turning the Tide
Just as hope seems lost for the Carabinieri in the western part of the valley, a group of Shantungosaurus steps out from the forest and when the speakers on the trailer let out another blast to infuriate the controlled Gigantoraptor and Argentinosaurus nearby, the hadrosaurs, pissed by the sound made, attack the speakers and in the process, destroy also the antenna which sends the signals to the controlled animals' chips.
Freed of the mercenaries' control, the animals stop for a moment and most being scared by the gunshots or having no interest in killing the humans in front of them, just leave. However some like the Triceratops or Quasimodo carry on with their attacks due to their natural instincts but when the Special Forces finally arrive from the north, they hesitate and after being intimidated by the newcomers, they retreat and disappear in the forest' darkness. The surviving Carabinieri start to rally to their allies.
Witnessing the shift in the situation, Dodgson is frustrated and leaves the auditorium, tasking Ramsay with trying to reassure the board. He calls Bigelow, telling her to meet him at his office. On the way, the CEO is cornered by Pellegrino and some of her men, mostly Italians, who point their pistols on him. The head of security tells Dodgson he's under arrest and orders him to cease this madness and surrender to the authorities. However, the putschists are surrounded in their turn by Dodgson's bodyguards and some mercenaries, and all except Pellegrino are gunned down. While she is neutralized and taken to the cells, Dodgson hurries to the Citadel's central tower. By the entrance of his office, Bigelow and Kayla are waiting for him. They enter his office and Dodgson starts cleaning his computer and putting his most precious belongings in a bag, including the hard-drive with Biosyn's most important research. The CEO also orders some men to destroy the archives.
At the top of the tower, Isabella Perez, Sherif Al-Damiri and their companion reach the control room and while they're securing it, Vincent Chapuy and his two comrades have to fight the men sent by Dodgson to the archives. Perez orders the technicians to deactivate the aerial defense system and the pterosaurs are seen moving away, letting the Special Forces (accompanied by Viscontini) fly to the battlefield. A couple of their helicopters go directly to the Citadel, engaging the mercenaries defending it.
While the dead or wounded Carabinieri are taken off the valley before the scavengers show up, the others regroup and with the Special Forces' ground forces, march to the Citadel where they intend to soon end the battle. Vuillier contacts Cesare, asking him about his progress. Cesare and his two companions haven't yet entered the labs, as Dodgson deployed seasoned mercenaries and not simple guards at their entrance, offering a hard resistance.
While the Citadel's defenders are engaged with the Special Forces dropped by the helicopters, Armand Massoud, Angelos Papadopoulos and Lydia Kapakas enter the Security HQ and free Owen and Dougal after a small fight with the gaolers. Pellegrino is also freed. The Raptor Whisperer asks one of the gaolers where Victoria is. She's in the kennels, in the lower levels. While Owen rushes to the kennels, the three grey guards, Dougal and Pellegrino head for the atrium.
Running out of time (his computer is having some issues), Dodgson sends his last forces to the Citadel's atrium, where a shootout occurs. With the cafeteria no longer guarded, the non-essential employees try to break out. Meanwhile several Biosyn guards drop their weapons and surrender when they see Pellegrino collaborating with the besiegers.
Dodgson's joker card
The defenders lose ground and as they are about to be caught between the Carabinieri, the Italian and Austrian Special Forces, the Massoud-Kapakas-Papadopoulos trio and Pellegrino's followers, one of the Biosyn guard calls for a ceasefire. The fight stops and Dodgson appears on top of the stairs which lead to the main courtyard. Bigelow, Kayla and his bodyguards are with him (while Ramsay is seen arriving from the Auditorium) and Dodgson has his bag with him. Seeing the CIA agent, the trio of grey guards hurls threats and insults at her, declaring she'll pay for Digby who died in Malta because of her treachery.
Dodgson look at his enemies: Vuillier, Nyamu and Viscontini down in the atrium, standing in front of the Carabinieri; the grey guards, Dougal and Pellegrino on one of the floors. He talks to them, congratulating them for taking the valley from him, before adding that they won one battle but not the war. Just as he is about to get arrested, he unveils his joker card: Should he be imprisoned or killed, his agents abroad have the order of releasing the content of nine containers he sent across the globe: Swarms of genetically-modified locusts designed to eat every crop but Biosyn's (a montage show trucks carrying the same containers as those seen in the airstrip. They park in the countryside of the following regions: US Midwest, India, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Egypt, China, Argentina, Australia, and Germany). Should the locusts be freed, they would trigger a global famine, with people being forced to turn to Biosyn if they want to eat. Even if Dodgson doesn't leave Auronzo alive, Biosyn will have a future as it will be the only entity which could ensure mankind's survival in this apocalyptic scenario.
New attackers
Meanwhile, three helicopters arrive from the opposite side of the valley. At first, it's believed that they are others Special Forces helicopters but as no one on the besiegers' camp ordered them to head for the Citadel, some try to contact the oncoming aircrafts, to no avail. Fearing some ill shift in situation, Vuillier suggest his allies to take cover. One of the besiegers' helicopter tries to intercept the trio of helicopters but they shoot it down and it crashes in the eastern part of the valley, near one of the observation towers. Everyone in the atrium is surprised, including Dodgson, and rushes to shelter while two of the helicopters fire missiles in several of the Citadel's key locations, including the atrium, the helipad (destroying the board's helicopters) and the cafeteria, and spray the control room (Perez is hit while one of the technician accidently release the animals contained in the kennel when he falls dead head first on his console. The freed animals not only include Victoria but also dilophosaurs among other things). After that, they distract those of the besieging forces and attack the Citadel's defenders. Many casualties are inflicted among the besiegers and Biosyn employees.
Dodgson regains consciousness just after the attack, which killed his bodyguards and projected Bigelow and Kayla away. Next to him, Ramsay is still unconscious. He sees the third helicopter of the attackers landing in the courtyard and debarking a squad of armed men who directly rushes to the laboratories. As soon as they're gone, Dodgson grabs his bag, wakes Ramsay up, and takes advantage of the situation to escape, towards the nearest elevator. He chose one of the lower levels, that of the garages. The elevator blocks itself halfway and the two Biosyn executives must force their way out while chaos has taken over the rest of the building.
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Act IV: The Clouds Burst (1/2)
Maisie's evasionWhile Ramsay is secretly covering them in the control room, Wu and Theo enters Katia Lesser's lab and with Rod Drummond's unexpected help (he's tired of working for Biosyn and intend to get out of the valley), they neutralize the scientist and frees Maisie from her cell. They then cross the other secret labs within Biosyn's Citadel and we several interesting elements:
- Dissected animals are seen in one of the labs while others are suffering medical experiments.
- In one of the sections, there are ten rooms. Nine of them are empty and in the tenth one, there are nothing but locusts, which surprise Theo. However, Drummond points out they don't exactly look like ordinary locusts (they're only slightly bigger than modern locusts. They could even be portrayed by real locusts (a bit enlarged by visual tricks) if this was a film) and noticing Wu's guilty look, the two men and Maisie realize he had a role in their creation). But he doesn't have the time to give explanations about those locusts.
- Another room has a window which overlooks a large dark bunker-like hall. In its darkness, they glimpse the shape of a large theropod with raised dorsal spines and crocodile-like scutes but when he sees the creature a bit more clearly, Drummond says something like "Those idiots made their cheap Godzilla knockoff!", recognizing the creature from the short film he mentioned to Wu in the Drinking Confession scene. He calls the mysterious theropod an "Ugly bastard" and a perversion of real dinosaurs.
After the labs, they head for the metro station just as planned but due to his lame leg (in TRQ, it was pierced by one of the Indoraptor's claws), Wu can't go with them and decides to stay in order to win some time for them. He and Maisie have a last look/exchange, with the teenager finally showing Wu some genuine respect and gratitude. Wu gives Theo a flash drive, urging him to send its content to Guillaume Vuillier of the WDMC as it contains the evidences of a scourge Biosyn intend to release soon. They separate, with Wu going in the opposite direction.
While the guards are chasing Wu, Maisie, Theo and Rod enter the metro and picks one of the stations on the eastern side of Auronzo (actually one of the observation towers). The metro leave the Citadel, following the valley loop. However, the metro system was badly designed and it can only follow the loop in a clockwise direction, forcing them to make a considerable detour and waste precious minutes.
Wu is soon caught and Dodgson's arrival in the control room prevents Ramsay from further helping the fugitives. Seeing one of the metro heading east, Dodgson has it stopped halfway of its journey and orders the guards to go inside the tunnels and bring back Maisie. Aware that Wu betrayed him, Dodgson takes a tablet and activates a certain Prometheus protocol.
Underground, Maisie, Theo and Drummond are forced to leave the metro and they try to find an exit before the guards can catch them. They find a door on the side and breaking it, they enter another smaller tunnel. However, the ground is slippery and they fall, descending further down into the darkness.
When the guards sent in the tunnels tell Dodgson that they lost Maisie, the CEO has a fit of anger.
The old amber mines
After their fall, Maisie, Theo and Drummond discover that they're in the old amber mines, which Biosyn exploited until their depletion, and search for an exit. Drummond also mentions that the valley's underground is like a cheese and that he wouldn't be surprised if some tunnels lead outside of the valley, which would explain all the incidents which occurred in the past year. During their crossing of the mines, they find several human skeletons or remains. It's implied that it's all the undesirable people who trespassed into the valley (governments' and rival companies' spies, anti-Biosyn activists...).
Should the giant temnospondyl be scrapped from the frozen lake sequence, it's probably going to be included here, as there are underground rivers and reservoirs by the mines.
Aviano Air Base
At Aviano Air Base, at the very gates of the Alps, Jessica Bigelow boards a US air force helicopter which takes her to Auronzo.
Prometheus Protocol
Wu is brought to Dodgson, which shows him a screen. Wu is aghast as it's a Twitter feed with the following hashtag #MadScientistWu, which is trending. Dodgson then explains that he had a file containing evidences of Wu's ethical misbehaviour (his work on the Indominus and Indoraptor, and especially the use of human DNA in their making ..) be made and ready to be sent to the media at once should he betray him. His reputation being destroyed for good, Wu breaks down and Dodgson orders the guards to bring him to Dr Lesser's lab and put him in Maisie's cell. Several characters (Ramsay, Pellegrino, Chapman, Everett...) watch Wu being led away by the guards.
With Mia Everett being nearby, Dodgson declares that Biosyn shouldn't have accepted a single InGen employees within its ranks has they have been nothing but traitors and burdens, before announcing to Mia he finally decided to pull the plug on her research program, as her rival and his team have much more promising results and shall be soon covered in glory.
Raiding and Betrayal
While the afternoon reaches its end, Owen, Dougal and Kayla end up near one of the Sanctuary's seven observation towers. There's no one inside and Kayla suggest entering it to raid some of the supplies it contains. She also tells her two companions that there is a metro station beneath each of the towers, stations connected to the Citadel by the tunnels. Thinking they could infiltrate the Citadel by those tunnels, Dougal agrees with her plan and the trio enters the tower and steal the needed supplies but a drone has spotted them. Just as they are about to follow the tunnels, they notice flashlights, those of incoming Biosyn guards. They climb back to the top of the tower but a security vehicle parks in front of the building and other guards step out of it. Surrounded, the trio prepare for a siege inside the tower but just as the guards are about to enter, Kayla points her weapon on Dougal's head and tells Owen to drop his or his colleague dies.
From the nearby forest, Claire witnesses the capture of her two colleagues and watches the Biosyn Security vehicle taking Kayla and the prisoners to the Citadel while the sound of helicopters approaching can be heard.
The board arrives
The helicopter(s) transporting Biosyn's board of directors lands on the Citadel's helipad and its passengers (which include Nathan Quinn and Zoe Murdoch) are welcomed by Dodgson and Ramsay.
Obstinacy
At the same time, Jessica Bigelow is brought to the Citadel and asks to see Dodgson but Murdoch stands in her way, claiming he's very busy. The CIA agent insists and Dodgson finally listens to what she has to say. But he wants to carry on with his event whatever happens, but reassure her as for Biosyn's most important research: They're already on a hard-drive in his office.
The cells
We cut to Owen and Dougal as they are locked up in a cell in the Security HQ. Kayla is standing outside, next to Pellegrino who's interrogating the two men about their mission and Claire's whereabouts. The smuggler reveals to the two WDMC agents that powerful friends suggested to her to let herself be arrested by the Italians as they expected they'll use her as a Trojan horse. She adds that there's nothing personal, she's just thinking about herself. While Pellegrino carries on with her questions, Kayla leaves the Security HQ and meets Bigelow by its exit (telling the audience that Kayla's powerful friends are the CIA). She asks her about their next moves and the CIA agent answers that the two of them will leave the valley with Dodgson and his escort. Back in the cell, Owen and Dougal hope Claire will succeed.
Unleashed dragon
As she's nearing the Citadel, Claire is spotted by a patrol of mercenaries or a drone. They chase after her and in her flight, she ends up in an enclosed part of the Sanctuary with several paddocks and cages. Several of them contain animals and it's implied that it's where Biosyn keeps those it just acquired or bred before releasing them in the valley. One of the cages contains a tyrannosaur and just as the mercenaries are about to catch her, Claire releases the predator and the mercenaries panic, triggering the rex's attack. It kills them before turning towards Claire, who's crouched and not making a single move. The rex sniffs her lengthily and Claire notices it's the animal she saw the day before, which left the droppings she used to mask her scent... The rex leaves Claire alone and disappears in the woods, heading north while Claire heads in the opposite direction. On the way, she sees a mysterious large theropod (she and the audience have visual obstacles which prevents them from clearly seeing it but we know it's the one from the bunker under the Citadel) being transported towards the western part of the valley.
In the besiegers' camp
While the sun is setting, a meeting is held in one of the besiegers camp's tents. Among the attendees are Vuillier, Nyamu, Viscontini, the leader of the Carabinieri Colonel Orlando Pasolini, and those of the Italian and Austrian Special Forces (and Pazzi through videoconference as he's still in Rome). They're talking about Biosyn's defenses and forces, the species which might be encountered in the Sanctuary, eventual negotiation strategies, the WDMC agents' mission, the grey guards who are in the valley and currently heading to the Citadel... Argument breaks out as some (like Pazzi) advocates for an immediate offensive, to surprise Dodgson and prevent him from fleeing or preparing some nasty surprise, while others want to wait until dawn, to let time for the grey guards and the eventual surviving WDMC agents to accomplish their mission in addition of avoiding sending men in a valley full of deadly animals in the dark of the night. Pazzi is for an immediate offensive and gives his blessing to colonel Pasolini.
Worried about the fate of his agents, Vuillier contacts the grey guards, which are already heading to the Citadel, following a path in the uplands.
The US spies
From a nearby wood, some people are seen spying the camp and northern entrance of Biosyn's lands. We cut to a meeting room inside the CIA's headquarters at Langley where Gibbon and his colleagues just received news that an offensive is about to start at Auronzo. Some ask the head of the DSD news about his agent inside Biosyn's Citadel.
Open the gates
Bigelow, with Ramsay's help, is trying to persuade Dodgson to cancel the event, take the hard-drive with the key research, and secretly evacuate Auronzo before ordering the control room to open the gates and let the Italian authorities in. While those would be searching through the Citadel, they would leave the area by the mountains before heading to a secret safehouse. Dodgson complains that the only help the US government sends is her but she mockingly retorts that the US won't risk a war with Italy and Austria just because of him and that had he been more careful, all that mess wouldn't have happened.
Watching footage of the besiegers' camp, Dodgson finally orders the opening of the northern gate. He and Ramsay then go to the auditorium, where Biosyn's board and other important figures are waiting for the CEO.
The convoy
Believing Dodgson finally surrendered, Colonel Pasolini and most of his Carabinieri enter Biosyn's lands while the Italian and Austrian Special Forces remain in the camp. After passing by the mercenaries (who were ordered by Dodgson to stand down) and the airstrip, the convoy enters a narrow pass through the mountains, the same one through which the hunters were brought to the Sanctuary.
Chips
In the Citadel's auditorium, Dodgson begins his presentation with a speech about how dinosaurs and other de-extinct animals were used since InGen first cloned them. At the same time, all the non-essential employees are gathered in the cafeteria and locked there by the mercenaries on his orders while others are deployed in some of the Citadel's most strategic locations (the control room, the labs' entrance...)
Meanwhile, the Carabinieri convoy has entered the Sanctuary and following the main road to the Citadel, they pass by the lake seen in A bed in the trees scene and several animals, including predators, which do nothing but watch the convoy. Drones are seen flying above the Italian vehicles. However, just as the Citadel is visible in the distance, the convoy stops when the first vehicle notices that a fallen tree is lying across the road. While it's quite large, said tree is still light enough to be moved by a group of people and with a lot of effort. Colonel Pasolini orders for a certain number of his men to get out and move the tree out of their way but while they start accomplishing their task, the Carabinieri feels the ground trembling beneath their feet and they and those still in the vehicles see ripples in the water puddles along the road. A racket starts to be heard in the woods on both sides of the road and in the distance, trees can be heard being jostled or even falling. Aware that large dinosaurs must be nearby, Pasolini orders his men to get back inside the vehicles and to the last in the convoy to return to the last crossroads and search another way to the Citadel. But just as said vehicle turns around, a tree falls across the road, larger than the one ahead of the convoy. The latter is now stuck between the two fallen trees and when they see human silhouettes running away from the one behind the convoy, the Carabinieri realize that they've fallen into an ambush (hearing the Carabinieri's communications on the radio, Vuillier and Viscontini wonder what treachery Dodgson has planned). Meanwhile, the drones have returned over the convoy and the racket in the woods gets closer and closer and the people in the convoy glimpse three large necks rising from the forest: argentinosaurs, charging argentinosaurs. Frightened at such a sight, the Carabineri are struck with fear and just as the sauropods are about to burst out of the forest at any second, a dreadful booming sound (similar to that of the orcs horns in Battle of the Five Armies; or the reapers' sound from the Mass Effect series) comes from speakers on some nearby elevation and in response, the sauropods let out a deafening bellow heard across much of the Sanctuary. Before they can take action, the Carabinieri are attacked by the argentinosaurs and their suite of small predators.
In the control room, Pellegrino witnesses the attack through some drone visuals and is wondering how it happened. She orders the technicians to send a signal in the sauropods' brain chips (during the Inspection scene at the beginning of the story, Pellegrino explain to the group that the Sanctuary animals are chipped) in order to make them stop but when they try to send the signal, the get an error notification, and one of the technicians say that either the chips fried and are driving the animals mad, or they were hacked. Pellegrino then asks to deactivate the aerial defense system to let the besiegers fly their helicopters into the valley but she's told that some program recently inserted prevent them from doing that for the entire duration of the prenstation. Powerless, the head of security watches the argentinosaurs crushing vehicles and men under their feet, and their suites of small predators harassing them. She's even more surprised when a few Ankylosaurus (first glimpsed in the news montage when the report talks about "tailored dinosaurs". Compared to those from the fossil record and those made by InGen, those Ankylosaurus are bigger and more high-legged, giving them enhanced mobility. Design-wise, it's basically the one from the actual JW films, albeit perhaps more intimidating) join the fray. Having suspicions, she head for the auditorium.
After learning that Pasolini and his Carabinieri fell into an ambush, an offensive is launched against the walls of Biosyn lands. Vuillier and Viscontini watch the Italian and Austrian Special Forces engaging the mercenaries defending the walls by the airstrip. They hope they'll soon make a breach so they can reach the convoy before it's too late (they know they can't send helicopters due the pterosaurs acting as the Citadel's aerial defense).
In the valley, one of the Carabinieri notice that the animal isn't acting on its own will (it's seen blocking its movements for a short moment, like someone resisting to a possession) and even seems in pain.
We cut to the auditorium and his observation is confirmed, with Dodgson explaining to the board of directors that thanks to chips (originally designed by Mantah Corp but Dodgson being Dodgson, he doesn't mention that and instead give the credit to the team rival of Mia's), they can control the animals like puppets. He precise that while the chips work well on some animals, trials have failed with others (like the raptors). On the auditorium's giant screen, various diagrams and footage of trials are seen.
We then follow another POV, that of technicians inside a command centre-like room. The technicians are sitting in front of monitors and each of them is seen typing on keyboards, giving instructions to the argentinosaurs' and ankylosaurs' chips (on the monitors, the audience can notice that they give names to each of the animals. For example, the three Argentinosaurus are named Brontes, Steropes, and Arges; after three of the cyclops from Greek Mythology). Through their drones or even micro cameras attached to the dinosaurs, they see the Carabinieri fleeing northwards while some of the Italians retaliate to the attack by shooting on the dinosaurs. But their weapons are ineffective against the argentinosaurs' hide and the ankylosaurs' armours. On the order of a mercenary officer, the technicians send a second wave of animals.
The speakers make once again their awful booming sound, exacerbating the animals' aggressiveness, and the second wave emerges from the forest. Before the scene cuts, we see it's made of, among other things, a Gigantoraptor (named Jabberwocky on its controlling technician's monitor), a couple of Quetzalcoatlus, probably some medium-large theropods like Allosaurus or Carnotaurus, a Biosyn Triceratops, and maybe even some Hyaenodon/sabre-toothed felid (depends on which will appear in the fighting pit in Malta) and Gigantopithecus recently imported to Auronzo. Many of those new attackers wear armor pieces comparable to those of police and military dogs or horses.
In the auditorium, the giant screen ends up showing the battle occurring in the valley. Dodgson's audience gasps when they see the drones' footage. One of the board members ask: "It's from a video game? Right?"
NOTE: I fear that there might be too many animals and different species involved in the battle. The mandatory ones are the following: Argentinosaurus (maybe have more than three individuals? The Brontes-Steropes-Arges trio could be seen charging abreast, evoking from afar a single three-headed gigantic beast) and their suite, Triceratops (which will illustrate itself soon and show how it's different from InGen's trikes), Gigantoraptor (in order to have a faster and more agile creature in the lot), and another player foreshadowed in earlier scenes (you'll know which when we'll return to the battle).
Sneaking into the Citadel
While battle just broke out further west, a Biosyn guard posted by a large gate carved at the base of the mountain near the Citadel spots a hooded silhouette under the trees: Claire. She retreats into the darkness and as a huge reward has been promised to anyone who would capture Vuillier's she-wolf, he runs after her. However, just like the colleagues she killed the day before, she lures him into an ambush and neutralizes him. She then steals his uniform and badge, and use the latter to open the gate, entering in an underground corridor, large enough to allow the transportation of large animals like the mysterious big theropod she glimpsed earlier. She follows it towards the Citadel.
Unbeknownst to her, the grey guards have also started their infiltration in the Citadel, by walking down the slopes behind the central tower. After neutralizing the few Biosyn guards positioned there, they enter the garden around the tower. In the latter's shadow, they split up in four groups, each heading into different parts of the Citadel:
- Cesare, Olivares and another are tasked with entering the labs.
- Perez, Al-Damiri and a third team member must take over the control room at the top of the tower.
- Chapuy and two others are tasked with searching the archives under the tower and preventing anyone from destroying the documents.
- Massoud, Kapakas and Papadopoulos must find the cells and free the WDMC agents if they're there.
The Battle of Auronzo
Following the road, the retreating Carabinieri reach the Valley's main river and the bridge the convoy crossed on the way just a few minutes ago. However, a controlled animal charging from the other side of the river prevents the first Carabinieri from taking it and they are forced to cross the cold waters of the river itself (it's thigh-deep at best) while the controlled animals are right on their heels. Several Carabinieri get killed during the crossing while some of their colleagues are cut off from them and must escape into the woods on the southern side of the river. Luckily, the controlling technicians didn't notice them. Once Pasolini and his remaining men are all on the other side of the river with the few vehicles they could have gotten out of the ambush site, the controlling technicians have their animals stopped just at the edge. A last animal codenamed Quasimodo arrive on the battlefield, a large Biosyn-made predator which visually, looks like a perversion of the real animal which makes up its base genome: It's the monstrous theropod from the bunker, an Acrocanthosaurus whose DNA was spliced with that of other animals, including crocodile (due to the croc fetish of some Biosyn executives) in order to be bigger and more "Monstrous and cooler-looking" than InGen's Acrocanthosaurus (yes, it's just JWD's Giganotosaurus with a different name). The apex predator makes his way through the other animals, which are seen looking at him with fright (in case of the smaller species) or irritation (in case of the Argentinosaurus and the other megaherbivores) but still controlled, they can't run away or fight it. As they're not controlled by the chips, the members of the Argentinosaurus' suite are showing aggression and one of them dares to attack him, but Quasimodo just grabs it in the air and eats it, discouraging the others from attacking as long as the sauropods won't. Quasimodo then stops in front of the bridge and looks at the Carabinieri on the other side. Confronted to this surreal sight, Pasolini don't know if they shall continue their retreat northwards or wait and hope for reinforcements' arrival.
While the animals are eerily standing still by the river, Dodgson exposes an idea to the board: They will bred new animals which aren't in their official catalogue, secretly release them in various parts of the globe, create "controlled" incidents and then get contracted by governments to capture the animals (capture which will be very easy with the chips, barely an inconvenience...) and send them to Auronzo. Biosyn will be both the disease and the cure, getting profits from this endless cycle of incidents and capture and obtaining absolute control on genetic power while their remaining competitors will die one by one. Basically, they'll soon become the equivalent in the Bio-engineering world of the British East India Company, something InGen aspired to be before crumbling. The CEO adds that his friends within the US government are already very interested by this technology.
Hidden in a technical room right behind the auditorium's stage, Pellegrino heard Dodgson bragging about controlling the animals. Realizing that he's so mad that he is slaughtering her fellow countrymen just to sell a technology, she takes a potentially fatal decision.
Back at the camp near the airstrip, Viscontini tells Vuillier that someone within the Italian government must have warned Dodgson, explaining how he got the time to do his nasty preparations. As the Special Forces just defeated the mercenaries guarding the northern entrance of Biosyn's lands and took the airstrip, Vuillier and Nyamu join them, asking for a weapon and climbing into one of their vehicles, refusing to stay safely in the camp while their friends and colleagues are in danger of death within the valley.
The speakers let out a third blast and hearing it, the few Carabinieri south of the river turn towards its origin. They see the speaker and an movable antenna on a nearby ridge and are aware that it must have something to do with the animals' unnatural behaviour. They rush towards it, hoping to save their comrades.
Irritated by the third blast, the controlled animals stamp and growl/bellow for a moment, before their controlling technicians orders them to move forward, as they were ordered to crush the Carabinieri before the arrival of their allies. While the other animals cross the river, Quasimodo the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus takes the bridge, accelerating his pace little by little before roaring and dashing on the Carabinieri. Aware that they'll be all slaughtered within a few minutes if they just stand there, Pasolini ordered to his men a few moments before to scatter in every direction and flee as long as possible in order to win time while the remaining vehicles will be either used to carry a maximum amount of men to the nearest shelter (could be the Hunting Lodge) before coming back and picking up those they can. Pasolini volunteers to stay on foot.
While flying between the speakers and the river, one of the drones spot the Carabinieri left south of the river. Noticing those troublemakers, the controlling technicians recall two of the animals from the battlefield (probably one of the Argentinosaurus and the Gigantoraptor).
On the other side of the river, the rest of the controlled animals have started attacking Pasolini and his men. The argentinosaurs charge through the forest and crush the Carabinieri like ants while their predatory auxiliaries harass them; the trike basically acts like a giant version of the boar from Australian horror film Razorback, charging, goring with its horns, and cutting off limbs with its sharp beak; Quasimodo devour several of the Italians... Colonel Pasolini ends up killed by one of the creatures and his death ruins the morale of his men who are about to rout.
Meanwhile, reactions among Dodgson's audience are varied:While some are captivated, others are not sure what to think about using the Carabinieri as guinea pigs, and one or two are disgusted. Nathan Quinn has a neutral attitude (he's interested by the technology but even if he strongly disapproves the actual demonstration and the bloodbath, he doesn't show it) while Ramsay avoid looking at the screen.
Hearing one of the Argentinosaurus bulldozing its way through the forest behind them just as they are about to reach the speakers and the antenna, the other Carabinieri start to run but during their race, they are surprised by the Gigantoraptor when it kills one of the Carabinieri, acting a bit like an oversized terror bird. They are forced to climb into a tree near a cliff's edge in order to escape it, with even another of the Carabinieri sacrificing himself to let the others climb high reach its targets, the Gigantoraptor tries to climb on the tree but to no avail, as it's too big. However, the tree bends and ends up uprooted under its assaults. Our characters are now hanging on an horizontal tree which will probably soon fall if the theropod keeps kicking it under its controller's command. They can't escape by one end as the Gigantoraptor is waiting for them and to make matters worse, the Argentinosaurus appears below the cliff and it can raise its head almost high enough to grab our characters. They can't escape.
Sneaky as a viper
After passing by the entrance of the large bunker where the monstrous Acrocanthosaurus was contained, Claire decides to pass by the vents after hearing some guards.
The Goblins of Nublar
During their journey through the amber mines, Maisie, Theo and Drummond stumble upon a lone Pectinodon. Remembering what he said earlier about the network of tunnels and its potential exits leading out of the valley, Drummond realize that the Pectinodons, and not the raptors, were involved in several of the external incidents (including the one from the Prologue). As he had to capture some of those creatures in a post-apocalyptic Nublar for Mills and Wu while he was part of Wheatley's mercenary company, Theo warns his companions about the danger of those animals. Maisie remembers having seen babies of those animals in the manor's basement along all the others Mills sold in his secret auction. The lone Pectinodon let out a series of calls and soon, an entire pack threatens our protagonists.
Ensue a scene where they have to repel them (Drummond tries to use the portable horn he has in his bag in order to scare the pectinodons but they're not impressed) and flee. However, Theo is bitten during that scene and his two companions notice this during a brief moment of respite. Maisie hopes they could perhaps find some cure but Theo answers that while one exists, they won't reach it in time. He adds that the venom will drive him mad (as seen in JPTG and mentioned in TRQ) and turn him into a danger for them. While his mind is still clear, he give Wu's flash drive to Maisie, has farewell words with her, asks Drummond to take care of her, and then runs back to where they came from, intending to win some time for them. While Maisie and Rod flee, Theo stands in the tunnel, preventing the pectinodons from going any further. He battles them to the death, taking several to the grave with him. An alternative could be him attracting a maximum of pectinodons in a room where he either provokes a crumbling, either a flooding, something that kills Theo and his attackers.
Finding a ladder, Maisie and Drummond follows it and climb out of the mines, narrowly escaping the pectinodons. They are back to the surface, somewhere in the northern part of the valley, not far from the dam. The palaeontologist then takes the traumatized teenager to the nearest tower, where they rest and resupply for a time.
Turning the Tide
Just as hope seems lost for the Carabinieri in the western part of the valley, a group of Shantungosaurus steps out from the forest and when the speakers on the trailer let out another blast to infuriate the controlled Gigantoraptor and Argentinosaurus nearby, the hadrosaurs, pissed by the sound made, attack the speakers and in the process, destroy also the antenna which sends the signals to the controlled animals' chips.
Freed of the mercenaries' control, the animals stop for a moment and most being scared by the gunshots or having no interest in killing the humans in front of them, just leave. However some like the Triceratops or Quasimodo carry on with their attacks due to their natural instincts but when the Special Forces finally arrive from the north, they hesitate and after being intimidated by the newcomers, they retreat and disappear in the forest' darkness. The surviving Carabinieri start to rally to their allies.
Witnessing the shift in the situation, Dodgson is frustrated and leaves the auditorium, tasking Ramsay with trying to reassure the board. He calls Bigelow, telling her to meet him at his office. On the way, the CEO is cornered by Pellegrino and some of her men, mostly Italians, who point their pistols on him. The head of security tells Dodgson he's under arrest and orders him to cease this madness and surrender to the authorities. However, the putschists are surrounded in their turn by Dodgson's bodyguards and some mercenaries, and all except Pellegrino are gunned down. While she is neutralized and taken to the cells, Dodgson hurries to the Citadel's central tower. By the entrance of his office, Bigelow and Kayla are waiting for him. They enter his office and Dodgson starts cleaning his computer and putting his most precious belongings in a bag, including the hard-drive with Biosyn's most important research. The CEO also orders some men to destroy the archives.
At the top of the tower, Isabella Perez, Sherif Al-Damiri and their companion reach the control room and while they're securing it, Vincent Chapuy and his two comrades have to fight the men sent by Dodgson to the archives. Perez orders the technicians to deactivate the aerial defense system and the pterosaurs are seen moving away, letting the Special Forces (accompanied by Viscontini) fly to the battlefield. A couple of their helicopters go directly to the Citadel, engaging the mercenaries defending it.
While the dead or wounded Carabinieri are taken off the valley before the scavengers show up, the others regroup and with the Special Forces' ground forces, march to the Citadel where they intend to soon end the battle. Vuillier contacts Cesare, asking him about his progress. Cesare and his two companions haven't yet entered the labs, as Dodgson deployed seasoned mercenaries and not simple guards at their entrance, offering a hard resistance.
While the Citadel's defenders are engaged with the Special Forces dropped by the helicopters, Armand Massoud, Angelos Papadopoulos and Lydia Kapakas enter the Security HQ and free Owen and Dougal after a small fight with the gaolers. Pellegrino is also freed. The Raptor Whisperer asks one of the gaolers where Victoria is. She's in the kennels, in the lower levels. While Owen rushes to the kennels, the three grey guards, Dougal and Pellegrino head for the atrium.
Running out of time (his computer is having some issues), Dodgson sends his last forces to the Citadel's atrium, where a shootout occurs. With the cafeteria no longer guarded, the non-essential employees try to break out. Meanwhile several Biosyn guards drop their weapons and surrender when they see Pellegrino collaborating with the besiegers.
Dodgson's joker card
The defenders lose ground and as they are about to be caught between the Carabinieri, the Italian and Austrian Special Forces, the Massoud-Kapakas-Papadopoulos trio and Pellegrino's followers, one of the Biosyn guard calls for a ceasefire. The fight stops and Dodgson appears on top of the stairs which lead to the main courtyard. Bigelow, Kayla and his bodyguards are with him (while Ramsay is seen arriving from the Auditorium) and Dodgson has his bag with him. Seeing the CIA agent, the trio of grey guards hurls threats and insults at her, declaring she'll pay for Digby who died in Malta because of her treachery.
Dodgson look at his enemies: Vuillier, Nyamu and Viscontini down in the atrium, standing in front of the Carabinieri; the grey guards, Dougal and Pellegrino on one of the floors. He talks to them, congratulating them for taking the valley from him, before adding that they won one battle but not the war. Just as he is about to get arrested, he unveils his joker card: Should he be imprisoned or killed, his agents abroad have the order of releasing the content of nine containers he sent across the globe: Swarms of genetically-modified locusts designed to eat every crop but Biosyn's (a montage show trucks carrying the same containers as those seen in the airstrip. They park in the countryside of the following regions: US Midwest, India, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Egypt, China, Argentina, Australia, and Germany). Should the locusts be freed, they would trigger a global famine, with people being forced to turn to Biosyn if they want to eat. Even if Dodgson doesn't leave Auronzo alive, Biosyn will have a future as it will be the only entity which could ensure mankind's survival in this apocalyptic scenario.
New attackers
Meanwhile, three helicopters arrive from the opposite side of the valley. At first, it's believed that they are others Special Forces helicopters but as no one on the besiegers' camp ordered them to head for the Citadel, some try to contact the oncoming aircrafts, to no avail. Fearing some ill shift in situation, Vuillier suggest his allies to take cover. One of the besiegers' helicopter tries to intercept the trio of helicopters but they shoot it down and it crashes in the eastern part of the valley, near one of the observation towers. Everyone in the atrium is surprised, including Dodgson, and rushes to shelter while two of the helicopters fire missiles in several of the Citadel's key locations, including the atrium, the helipad (destroying the board's helicopters) and the cafeteria, and spray the control room (Perez is hit while one of the technician accidently release the animals contained in the kennel when he falls dead head first on his console. The freed animals not only include Victoria but also dilophosaurs among other things). After that, they distract those of the besieging forces and attack the Citadel's defenders. Many casualties are inflicted among the besiegers and Biosyn employees.
Dodgson regains consciousness just after the attack, which killed his bodyguards and projected Bigelow and Kayla away. Next to him, Ramsay is still unconscious. He sees the third helicopter of the attackers landing in the courtyard and debarking a squad of armed men who directly rushes to the laboratories. As soon as they're gone, Dodgson grabs his bag, wakes Ramsay up, and takes advantage of the situation to escape, towards the nearest elevator. He chose one of the lower levels, that of the garages. The elevator blocks itself halfway and the two Biosyn executives must force their way out while chaos has taken over the rest of the building.
2023.06.08 11:20 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
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⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
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⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
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2023.06.08 11:15 ScribblingFox98 The Survivor Becomes a Dungeon (Chapter 80)
First
Vitmori POV
My eyes opened to an array of lights floating around me. It was a rather beautiful display as I slowly glanced around. Looking toward Reyvyre, I could see and sense the bewildered curiosity plain on her face as she looked between each orb of light, clearly getting more information from her side of this magic circle than I was. "What is it?" I ask carefully, not wanting to break her focus too much from whatever she was doing to maintain her end of the magic circle.
Reyvyre took a few moments to gather herself as she spoke up. "I'm... I'm not sure what to make of all this." She admitted, looking around some more before continuing. "This magic circle displays your magical affinities as you are now. Generally, this is used for fledgling mages who are still in their 'discovery' stages, as it were, in order to set them down their easiest paths; however, affinities can be developed and discovered over a mage's lifetime, new paths forged which can broaden your range of magic." She explained before gesturing to all the lights. "While you don't have access to all magics... I've never seen an inexperienced mage with a connection to so many paths of magic, especially with such a deep understanding at that. You have a connection to all four primal magics; while it is not unheard of, it is still surprising for one as inexperienced as you. Air is the weakest, then water, you have a good bond with earth, and finally, there's fire. If I didn't know better, I would have said you were a fire elemental or perhaps even a fire dragon." She explained, excitement creeping into her voice as I sensed her marveling at the possibilities. "You have such a deep understanding of fire and its properties, though I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised as to how you have such an understanding." She mentioned, her expression and tone going somber at the realization she had.
This confused me for a moment before I remembered that she'd seen my memories. "Ah, right... Yeah, I suppose that could do it." I replied. Fire has been my greatest ally and my worst nightmare over the years; I've experienced its use in all aspects of its nature, and I know exactly what it can do to the human body, among other things. I offered her a small smile as I watched her fret over bringing up this part of my past and spoke up to try and console her. "Don't linger too much on it; it was quite literally another lifetime. Don't let my memories burden you." I offer in a gentle voice.
I could sense Reyvyre taking my words to heart as she sighed softly, collecting herself as she looked among the orbs of light once more. "Beyond the four primal magics and the related fusions of those magics, you have access to many rather unusual and esoteric branches of magic." She mentioned as her eyes continued to wander. "Darkness and light magics, opposites and unusual branches to fully specialize in." She said as she tilted her head. "Adventurers or criminals generally tap into these branches for the illusions they can access as well as stealth magics that aid in their endeavors." She explained. "Though you have an understanding of both branches, you have a much greater connection to the darkness."
"Well, I did most of my work in the dark; I learned to move in the shadows and conceal myself from my enemies. As for light, well, I'd say you would be surprised how much there is to know about light." I mentioned with a bit of a smile, though I considered what she said and tilted my head a bit. "I also think you'd be surprised by the depth of darkness and shadow; it's more than illusions and stealth, I'd say, and I don't mean that poetically." I mused as I pointlessly rolled my shoulders. "Besides, you might want to see what Basti can do with shadows and darkness; I'm sure even you can learn from her."
Reyvyre nodded intently, and I could sense that she felt unsure about my claims; she was keeping an open mind about my unique situation as she looked to a different area of the magic circle. "Spacial magic was to be expected if we consider your ability to store vast amounts of things in your personal storage space, though here is an unusual one." She mentioned as she brought a particular orb of light to focus. "Soul magic, even I know of very few with natural affinities for soul magic, usually they're used by churches and places of law and order to measure someone's character. It's rare to see anyone even having a connection to it, but their services are valued and sought out if a mage is shown to have a talent in the field." She explained as she made a face; I could sense she was considering me and something she had seen before speaking up. "That reminds me... You've created artificial souls before, haven't you? Dread and the Sinners, right?" She said slowly as she mulled over the idea. "It's something called an Ego, which is usually only applied to things like weapons and armor. They're incredibly rare and are often used as partners to mages and various warriors, using their innate properties to guide, protect, or magically heal and support their wielders. Though most instances are usually made by fiends, dragons, and fey; however, even elves, dwarves, and the odd human mage have created them before, but I've never heard of ego being potent enough to control and manage an entire body." She explained, mulling over the information as she scratched the back of her head.
I consider her words before offering a piece of information that might be helpful for her in her endeavor to understand me better. "That might have something to do with the aspects I was granted when I was placed here in this world." At the mention of aspects, I could see her pointed ears twitch with surprise as she looked at me with wide eyes, I could sense that she was heavily doubting what she heard just now and hesitated to speak, so I just continued. "Upon my death, I heard a voice listing all these titles and explaining how I affected those around me in my world. Those I killed, those I saved, and how many zombies I exterminated." I explained slowly; the whole experience was all somewhat surreal now that I'm reflecting on it; I suppose I was numb to the experience due to the sheer shock and confusion of what was suddenly happening to me. "It was something called karmic influence, though I'm still uncertain about it all. Perhaps if I had access to that system Historietta talked about, I would know more. But it's not like I care all that much since I don't need to know how everything in the world works to live in it." I said, doing a little bit of hand waving, though Reyvyre seemed to listen intently, patiently waiting for me to say the point of what I had to say. "I was granted the aspects of life and death during that time, and later, after Basti put an end to what was left of Lichtdren, I inherited her aspect of creation."
Reyvyre's face was calm and stoic as she closed her eyes, though her mind was a swirling storm of theories, ideas, and speculation. We sat silently for a few minutes before Reyvyre opened her eyes and sighed softly. "A lot of things are starting to make sense now..." She admitted as she looked into the orbs of light around me. "I was uncertain what to make of what I saw when I first looked at the magic you had access to, which is why I was saving them for last." She said as she brought forward two orbs. "Life and death magic, your connection to them is even more potent than your connection to fire. Healing and destruction, communication with those beyond the veil of the aether, and being able to pull those beyond the veil back into their mortal forms or other vessels. If I had to put a sort of label on your connection to these forms of magic, it would be the term aspect. Not even the Saintess of Gaia can claim to have such a strong connection to life magic as you, not that you even know how to harness that magic, though the same could be said for your connection to death... Not that I know any publically labeled figures to be known as Saint or Saintess of Death, but you would have a deeper connection to this branch of magic than them."
I nodded intently. It all sounded very impressive, but I'm still having a hard time putting weight behind all these concepts and ideas. Though I can sense that all this is starting to stress Reyvyre somehow, what is bothering her, in particular, is not clear to me. "Your... Your ears twitched with surprise when I mentioned aspect. Why did that word get a reaction out of you?" I ask, cutting to the point as best I could.
Reyvyre's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as one hand reached up to one of her ears before she cleared her throat and spoke up. "I recognized the term since I had read about it during my historical studies, it was used to describe individuals who had been blessed by the gods, aspects were often either great heroes or great evils who were blessed for their achievements; though it was often recorded that aspects were granted their blessings in anticipation of what they would do." She said as she ran her finger through her hair, staring at the ground before looking up into my eyes. "I'm not worried about you or how you would use your powers. You are a good man, and I have no doubt you would use these powers mostly for the benefit of others." She said as she offered a smile, though she furrowed her brows and continued her thought. "What I am worried about is why someone of your potential would appear in the world as you are. Not to mention the idea that multiple gods and goddesses seem to have their eyes on you and the Empress of all people." She explained, sounding a little bewildered as she considered Historietta. "An escalation like this does not bode well for the future..." She says while sighing some more.
"I do wanna say that I was told there would be some calamity around four years from now. What it is, I don't exactly know, but it is something at least." I mentioned it since it was the only thing that came to mind when she talked about the future.
Reyvyre looked surprised but didn't really seem to panic or look overly concerned, managing to remain apathetic towards the information. "I see; well, that would make sense, especially making you this powerful if this supposed calamity is in the near future. But what could possibly be brewing in the background for your presence to be needed?" She pondered, maintaining her composure as she viewed everything in a strictly analytical way.
"Well, didn't you mention that there's some kind of warlord on a path of conquest overseas? It was the whole reason Emperor Ferodias performed his warpath of unification on this continent." I mentioned, looking at the orbs of light around me before looking into her eyes and watching her while she looked elsewhere thoughtfully.
She hummed in thought. "It is possible, but can we really consider that to be a calamity?" She asked as she returned my gaze.
"Well, I can't say for sure, but all it takes is a single stone to cause a wave; who knows what that warlord's warpath will lead into or disturb." I offer for her consideration.
Reyvyre nodded intently before dispelling the magic circle and standing, I did note that there were a few more orbs of light that we hadn't reviewed, but it seemed like we were moving on at this point. "Well, in that case, we shouldn't dwell on what may be and focus on what we can do now, and what I can do now is show the basics of how to wield your abilities so you can be ready for whatever may come." She exclaimed, full of false bravado and fake enthusiasm, I could tell she was putting on a brave front and wasn't taking her own words to heart, but I was not about to call her on it.
I stand as well, walking over and patting her shoulder. "Well then, I'll be in your care." I say as I flash a small smile.
Reyvyre returned my smile, this time managing to pull a real one on her face as she looked around. "I think we should make our way to the river; with fire being your primary element, it would be better to be closer to a water source." She considered, a hint of amusement in her voice.
I chuckle softly, bobbing my head in agreement. "Lead the way."
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Vitmori POV
My eyes opened to an array of lights floating around me. It was a rather beautiful display as I slowly glanced around. Looking toward Reyvyre, I could see and sense the bewildered curiosity plain on her face as she looked between each orb of light, clearly getting more information from her side of this magic circle than I was. "What is it?" I ask carefully, not wanting to break her focus too much from whatever she was doing to maintain her end of the magic circle.
Reyvyre took a few moments to gather herself as she spoke up. "I'm... I'm not sure what to make of all this." She admitted, looking around some more before continuing. "This magic circle displays your magical affinities as you are now. Generally, this is used for fledgling mages who are still in their 'discovery' stages, as it were, in order to set them down their easiest paths; however, affinities can be developed and discovered over a mage's lifetime, new paths forged which can broaden your range of magic." She explained before gesturing to all the lights. "While you don't have access to all magics... I've never seen an inexperienced mage with a connection to so many paths of magic, especially with such a deep understanding at that. You have a connection to all four primal magics; while it is not unheard of, it is still surprising for one as inexperienced as you. Air is the weakest, then water, you have a good bond with earth, and finally, there's fire. If I didn't know better, I would have said you were a fire elemental or perhaps even a fire dragon." She explained, excitement creeping into her voice as I sensed her marveling at the possibilities. "You have such a deep understanding of fire and its properties, though I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised as to how you have such an understanding." She mentioned, her expression and tone going somber at the realization she had.
This confused me for a moment before I remembered that she'd seen my memories. "Ah, right... Yeah, I suppose that could do it." I replied. Fire has been my greatest ally and my worst nightmare over the years; I've experienced its use in all aspects of its nature, and I know exactly what it can do to the human body, among other things. I offered her a small smile as I watched her fret over bringing up this part of my past and spoke up to try and console her. "Don't linger too much on it; it was quite literally another lifetime. Don't let my memories burden you." I offer in a gentle voice.
I could sense Reyvyre taking my words to heart as she sighed softly, collecting herself as she looked among the orbs of light once more. "Beyond the four primal magics and the related fusions of those magics, you have access to many rather unusual and esoteric branches of magic." She mentioned as her eyes continued to wander. "Darkness and light magics, opposites and unusual branches to fully specialize in." She said as she tilted her head. "Adventurers or criminals generally tap into these branches for the illusions they can access as well as stealth magics that aid in their endeavors." She explained. "Though you have an understanding of both branches, you have a much greater connection to the darkness."
"Well, I did most of my work in the dark; I learned to move in the shadows and conceal myself from my enemies. As for light, well, I'd say you would be surprised how much there is to know about light." I mentioned with a bit of a smile, though I considered what she said and tilted my head a bit. "I also think you'd be surprised by the depth of darkness and shadow; it's more than illusions and stealth, I'd say, and I don't mean that poetically." I mused as I pointlessly rolled my shoulders. "Besides, you might want to see what Basti can do with shadows and darkness; I'm sure even you can learn from her."
Reyvyre nodded intently, and I could sense that she felt unsure about my claims; she was keeping an open mind about my unique situation as she looked to a different area of the magic circle. "Spacial magic was to be expected if we consider your ability to store vast amounts of things in your personal storage space, though here is an unusual one." She mentioned as she brought a particular orb of light to focus. "Soul magic, even I know of very few with natural affinities for soul magic, usually they're used by churches and places of law and order to measure someone's character. It's rare to see anyone even having a connection to it, but their services are valued and sought out if a mage is shown to have a talent in the field." She explained as she made a face; I could sense she was considering me and something she had seen before speaking up. "That reminds me... You've created artificial souls before, haven't you? Dread and the Sinners, right?" She said slowly as she mulled over the idea. "It's something called an Ego, which is usually only applied to things like weapons and armor. They're incredibly rare and are often used as partners to mages and various warriors, using their innate properties to guide, protect, or magically heal and support their wielders. Though most instances are usually made by fiends, dragons, and fey; however, even elves, dwarves, and the odd human mage have created them before, but I've never heard of ego being potent enough to control and manage an entire body." She explained, mulling over the information as she scratched the back of her head.
I consider her words before offering a piece of information that might be helpful for her in her endeavor to understand me better. "That might have something to do with the aspects I was granted when I was placed here in this world." At the mention of aspects, I could see her pointed ears twitch with surprise as she looked at me with wide eyes, I could sense that she was heavily doubting what she heard just now and hesitated to speak, so I just continued. "Upon my death, I heard a voice listing all these titles and explaining how I affected those around me in my world. Those I killed, those I saved, and how many zombies I exterminated." I explained slowly; the whole experience was all somewhat surreal now that I'm reflecting on it; I suppose I was numb to the experience due to the sheer shock and confusion of what was suddenly happening to me. "It was something called karmic influence, though I'm still uncertain about it all. Perhaps if I had access to that system Historietta talked about, I would know more. But it's not like I care all that much since I don't need to know how everything in the world works to live in it." I said, doing a little bit of hand waving, though Reyvyre seemed to listen intently, patiently waiting for me to say the point of what I had to say. "I was granted the aspects of life and death during that time, and later, after Basti put an end to what was left of Lichtdren, I inherited her aspect of creation."
Reyvyre's face was calm and stoic as she closed her eyes, though her mind was a swirling storm of theories, ideas, and speculation. We sat silently for a few minutes before Reyvyre opened her eyes and sighed softly. "A lot of things are starting to make sense now..." She admitted as she looked into the orbs of light around me. "I was uncertain what to make of what I saw when I first looked at the magic you had access to, which is why I was saving them for last." She said as she brought forward two orbs. "Life and death magic, your connection to them is even more potent than your connection to fire. Healing and destruction, communication with those beyond the veil of the aether, and being able to pull those beyond the veil back into their mortal forms or other vessels. If I had to put a sort of label on your connection to these forms of magic, it would be the term aspect. Not even the Saintess of Gaia can claim to have such a strong connection to life magic as you, not that you even know how to harness that magic, though the same could be said for your connection to death... Not that I know any publically labeled figures to be known as Saint or Saintess of Death, but you would have a deeper connection to this branch of magic than them."
I nodded intently. It all sounded very impressive, but I'm still having a hard time putting weight behind all these concepts and ideas. Though I can sense that all this is starting to stress Reyvyre somehow, what is bothering her, in particular, is not clear to me. "Your... Your ears twitched with surprise when I mentioned aspect. Why did that word get a reaction out of you?" I ask, cutting to the point as best I could.
Reyvyre's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as one hand reached up to one of her ears before she cleared her throat and spoke up. "I recognized the term since I had read about it during my historical studies, it was used to describe individuals who had been blessed by the gods, aspects were often either great heroes or great evils who were blessed for their achievements; though it was often recorded that aspects were granted their blessings in anticipation of what they would do." She said as she ran her finger through her hair, staring at the ground before looking up into my eyes. "I'm not worried about you or how you would use your powers. You are a good man, and I have no doubt you would use these powers mostly for the benefit of others." She said as she offered a smile, though she furrowed her brows and continued her thought. "What I am worried about is why someone of your potential would appear in the world as you are. Not to mention the idea that multiple gods and goddesses seem to have their eyes on you and the Empress of all people." She explained, sounding a little bewildered as she considered Historietta. "An escalation like this does not bode well for the future..." She says while sighing some more.
"I do wanna say that I was told there would be some calamity around four years from now. What it is, I don't exactly know, but it is something at least." I mentioned it since it was the only thing that came to mind when she talked about the future.
Reyvyre looked surprised but didn't really seem to panic or look overly concerned, managing to remain apathetic towards the information. "I see; well, that would make sense, especially making you this powerful if this supposed calamity is in the near future. But what could possibly be brewing in the background for your presence to be needed?" She pondered, maintaining her composure as she viewed everything in a strictly analytical way.
"Well, didn't you mention that there's some kind of warlord on a path of conquest overseas? It was the whole reason Emperor Ferodias performed his warpath of unification on this continent." I mentioned, looking at the orbs of light around me before looking into her eyes and watching her while she looked elsewhere thoughtfully.
She hummed in thought. "It is possible, but can we really consider that to be a calamity?" She asked as she returned my gaze.
"Well, I can't say for sure, but all it takes is a single stone to cause a wave; who knows what that warlord's warpath will lead into or disturb." I offer for her consideration.
Reyvyre nodded intently before dispelling the magic circle and standing, I did note that there were a few more orbs of light that we hadn't reviewed, but it seemed like we were moving on at this point. "Well, in that case, we shouldn't dwell on what may be and focus on what we can do now, and what I can do now is show the basics of how to wield your abilities so you can be ready for whatever may come." She exclaimed, full of false bravado and fake enthusiasm, I could tell she was putting on a brave front and wasn't taking her own words to heart, but I was not about to call her on it.
I stand as well, walking over and patting her shoulder. "Well then, I'll be in your care." I say as I flash a small smile.
Reyvyre returned my smile, this time managing to pull a real one on her face as she looked around. "I think we should make our way to the river; with fire being your primary element, it would be better to be closer to a water source." She considered, a hint of amusement in her voice.
I chuckle softly, bobbing my head in agreement. "Lead the way."
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2023.06.08 10:32 Significant-Soup-693 Brook’s Advancement: A True Soul King
 | Soooo, yeah. First post here and I don’t really know what to put this as, hence the Misc thing. It’s one part theory, one part speculation, and one part fun thing to think about. Basically, this is going to be one of several post about what I PERSONALLY believe/think the straw hats are going to evolve into power wise. Haki awakenings/advancements, DF awakenings, the works. Obviously, I’m starting with Brook and working my way backwards through the straw hats till I end with Luffy. Now Disclaimer: This is not by ANY MEANS to discredit my boy Jinbei. I feel like he is pretty strong as is and has some room for growth but not as much as the others. Not to mention, these 9 are the OGs and I feel like I’m speaking for us all when I say I wanna see them reach their peak. Secondly, this isn’t me straight up saying “this is what’s gonna happen.” I ain’t Oda. This is just a fun thought experiment thing that I wanted to share with y’all and get reactions. In any case, let’s get the show going with my boy, “Dead Bones” Brook. Strap in, this is a long one. submitted by Significant-Soup-693 to OnePiece [link] [comments] HakiSo Brook’s Haki. Personally, I can see Brook awakening both Armament and Observation Haki. Obviously, the armament would help with his sword work a lot, plus Brook with black bones is just a badass mental image in my book. The Observation Haki would work just as well in that department as well and I would even see him advancing it into the Future Sight like Luffy. My only real evidence I have to this is that Brook (at least from what I can gather and think, don’t quote me on this) is based off of Baron Samedi of Vodou Religion. Both have canes, both are skeletons, both have ties to the underworld to a point, I could go on. So I feel like Future Sight would fit Brook because there is a lot of “Fortune Telling” in Vodou, especially in New Orleans. Plus, It would make him opposite Zoro both in the sword work work AND in the Haki world, with Zoro being obviously more Armament/Conquerors based. Not to mention, Brook with glowing red eyes is also a good mental image.Devil Fruit AwakeningSo I could go on about Brook’s sword work and how many moves I can think for him BUT, I feel like the real interesting nugget for Brook is his DF. The Yomi Yomi no Mi, or the Revive-Revive Fruit, is a very interesting Paramecia on various levels so I feel like the awakening is gonna be something great and not that far off. Correct me if I’m wrong but, Brook has had his DF the longest out of all the Strawhats so I think if anyone is close to having an Awakening the most out of the DF users that haven’t (Aka, between him and chopper because I think Robin is already awakened but I’ll get to the that when I talk about her). If ya need evidence to why I think he’s close to an awakening, I splint you to the Soul King thing from Whole Cake where his literally ripping the souls out of the chess soldiers. If that ain’t close to an awaking of the fruit, I don’t know what is.In any case, let’s first talk about what it would look like and well, I think we already seen it…kinda. Let me explain, in two color spreads (maybe more), Brook has been seen with that kinda green “soul-fire” that made up the Soul King thing I mentioned before in his Afro [ Evidence Above ]. The raid suit one shows it a little bit but the ninja one shows it complete consuming the Afro. I think that’s perfect and exactly what it would look like, not to mention it could give Brook eerie green eyes within those empty sockets of his. Soul RequiemThis would be a form where “Brook’s Soul Dances”, kinda like Luffy’s Gear 5 form. Now, this ain’t to say Brook has a God Fruit like him. As much I would like to make that meme a reality, no. It’s just a kinda a mechanic I wanted to give his awakening for reasons. In any case, while in this form, Brook would get your typical boosts but mostly to speed because of how Brook Fights. As for abilities, I have several ideas. For one, that soul-fire I mentioned. It can be manipulated be Brook in various ways, one of the main ways is to imbue them into his sword by sticking Soul Solid into his new flaming Afro. His new flaming sword would, obviously, give him some new offensive and defensive abilities as these are no normal flames. These are the flames of the underworld. Flames so Cold they Burn…..yeah, it doesn’t make sense when I say it like that but ya know what I mean. Basically, instead of this fire burning you, they freeze you as they slowly spread over your body until you’re nothing but a frozen statue, soul included. I can see moves that stem from this being enhanced version of his “Soul Parade” techniques and new ones, like one being a move similar to Zoro’s Lion Song. I would call this ”Soul Parade: Maman Briggitte’s Wedding Song”, as a reference to Baron Samedi’s wife in Vodou myth.For another ability, soul manipulation. We kinda see this with the Chess Soldiers I mentioned before but imagine this with ALL things with souls in them. People, animals, the works. I can see a variation of Brook’s Lullaby Parry that I would dub, “Baron’s Lullaby”. Instead of using a Violin, yes I miss it too, Brook would hum this song. When heard, the targets of this attack will slowly fall asleep and when they drop, their souls would, for the lack of a better word, “pop” out of their body and into the air. They would be “alive” technically, as their bodies would be in a comatose like state of neither life nor death while their soul are separated from their bodies. This would lead into another move, “Baron’s Lullaby: Lost Festival”. Here, Brook would raise his sword like a Conductor’s Baton and Orchestrate the souls as he pleases before sending them into random directions. Doing this would send the souls in different bodies, objects, animals, ect, causing mass panic for his foes. Think like Silver Chariot Requiem’s ability from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Part 5. Another move comes in the form of “Baron’s Lullaby: Black Parade”. Same thing happens, the enemies fall asleep but instead of their souls leaving their bodies, they would just fall asleep standing up. Taking his sword like a Baton once more, he would control these sleeping individuals like toy soldiers. Sure, this may lean into a bit more “villian-like” powers but I feel like it would still be useful to him AND it brings in the Haitian Zombie idea. Another ability I see him having is something we have seen before actually. That being, the creation of Homies. I know, I know, this is already a DF on it’s own but what else do you think Brook’s awakening could do? Turn building’s into Souls? As stated in the wiki, Paramecia Awakenings extend the user’s powers to the world around so this seems like a good evolution for it. However, there are differences between this awakening and Big Mom’s Fruit. For one, the type of “souls” Brook can make. By pulling off pieces of his soul-flame Afro, he can imbue things with either simple souls or complex souls. Simple souls are well, simple. They have no free will and just are animated, moving to Brook’s command. Think like this living weapons from DND. Complex Souls are your typical Homies, having their own personalities and all BUT take much more energy to create/maintain since it’s an awakening thing, not mention more of his Afro. Simple souls return to Brook after he revers from his awakening while Complex stay around until Brook orders them to return. Not only does this give Brook some background singers, who I would name after Different Loa from Haitian Vodou Myth like how Big Mom had Greek names (mostly), but it could give an answer to Nami’s Zeus problem. Let’s face it, Big Mom won’t live forerver so that means Zeus won’t as, I think, he would disappear after Big Mom passed away and her fruit goes back into the cycle. However, with this power, Brook could just replace Big Mom’s soul power with his own since, he’ll probably live forever for as far as we know, meaning Zeus will have a much longer life. Finally, I can see him talk to dead people and utilize the souls of the dead. I know this maaaayyyy be a bit fanfic-y but hear me out. We know that souls exist thanks to both Brook and Big Mom’s fruits, not to mention ghosts (maybe) from Perona. So I don’t think it would be THAT out of the question for Brook to communicate with the dead. Maybe not full on conversations, at least at first, but maybe some whispers here and there. Maybe he could even see dead folks, giving use a good scene where Brook meets Ace from beyond the grave. Not to mention, I can see Brook going full Return of The King and summon an army of fallen souls to help in a battle. However, I would keep this to only pirates he met personally so he doesn’t whip Ghost Roger out of his pocket. This would be a move I would call ”Deadman’s Tale: Epic of the Rumbar Pirates”, where Brook would pull out his guitar and play a damn good metal cover of Bink’s Brew. As he plays, the fire from his Afro will build and build before exploding around him, reforming into the images of his old crew to aid his new crew. With them being ghosts and all, they would be a helpful addition to combat as they can’t be hurt by traditional weapons, only Haki as haki is one’s spirit manifest so spirit on spirit. However, Brook will have to keep playing the song or they will disappear, meaning Brook can’t fight while he uses this attack. Finally, for a weakness to all this, it’s awakening so Brook can’t use this stuff for long, it is taxing. Plus, for the Homie part, Brook can’t just create things whenever he wishes. He only has so much Afro to around, unlike big mom who can just still souls for her homie creation. That ain’t Brook’s style, at least in my book. Not to mention, Brook has to keep his soul “in Rhythm” like how Luffy needs to keep his heart drumming to the beat of the Drums of Liberation or he will fall out of it. Again, just another fun mechanic I wanted to throw in. Soooo yeah, that be it for my boy Brook. Hope y’all like this long boy post. Next up is Franky so stay tuned for whenever that gets posted. |
2023.06.08 10:09 WaveOfWire One Hell Of A Vacation - Chapter 89
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u/KieveKRS providing the Trash certification of quality! (with help from u/coldfireknight cuz this one needed it.)
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Nalah affixed the massive shield to her back, the rectangular form large enough for him to fit behind while only needing to crouch slightly. It was mostly ironwood, but the sides and front were metal-plated, so it still weighed a considerable amount. Despite that, the thing’s bulk hardly seemed to be noticed by the blonde-furred female, likely due to the constant construction work she involved herself in. It paired oddly with the long pike she insisted on using, but he couldn’t deny that poking at things while hiding behind a mobile wall sounded like a good idea.
Jax was wearing his new armour, the bulky chest-piece a mirror of his blond-furred pack mate’s. Though he forwent the protection a buckler or likewise would offer, he doubled up on gear. Gauntlets, vambraces, pauldrons, and anything else he could wear to compliment the massive axe he had taken a liking to.
Where Nalah was fitted to look like an apocalypse survivor—her protections limited to her torso, forearms, and shield—the black-furred male resembled a giant, if underfunded, paladin. All he needed now was some religious imagery and a penchant for exalting the qualities of their god. Joseph almost nudged the guy to suggest it for kicks.
On second thought, he decided that Jax absolutely did not need a reason to start yelling about the Human-turned-religious-figure, because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t. There was no telling what he would choose to say, and the Grand Hunter was perfectly happy never knowing.
Having been with the male as long as he had, it would probably involve ‘taming’ females or something else that would leave him groaning for weeks, if not just contemplating another high-dive from the cliff.
Joseph fixed his own equipment, the ‘Wraith armour’ worn over his own thin iron breastplate. He wasn’t thrilled to wear the extra weight, but it beat being mauled by the thing they were heading out to kill. The trips so far had been tolerable, fog and overcast skies keeping the temperature in check, but he didn’t want to go out in this on a hotter day as Summer really kicked back in. He was sweaty enough without baking inside all this crap.
He adjusted the wolf-skull mask, the rest of the hunting party having gotten over the worst of the unease it gave them. Though they’d needed to rotate people out for the sake of fairness, this would be their eighth consecutive scouting. Using the information that Raine and Faye provided, they narrowed down a likely stomping grounds for the creature and were systematically clearing sectors. It might have been discouraging to keep looking after so long, but the occasional marking on trees and the odd moss-wolf corpse tipped them off that they were getting close. There was still another week’s worth of searching left if today wasn’t the day, but somehow he doubted they wouldn’t need that long.
All in all, they numbered six; larger parties were attempted, but their efforts at stealth quickly became pointless between so many trudging through the forest and stopping for breaks. There was a bit of a scare where one of Mi’low’s pack went missing, but the guy had just stopped to relieve himself. Since the discovery was made by someone else knocking him over in the process by mistake, they decided that keeping the number smaller made communication easier. And lowered the amount of grumbling about needing a bath.
Jax, Nalah, two security members, one of the hunters, and him. Sure, grabbing Tel or the Wraiths would have been a bit more useful for cohesion, but they were all busy with things, and he didn’t want to grind everything in the settlement to a halt for nothing if the search turned up empty again. They were more suited to taking out their fellow Lilhun than some monster in the woods, as much as he disliked the thought.
Scarlet was spending a lot of time with Violet and the new Atmo, Faye was spending much of her recovery with the moss-wolves and moss-pup, and Tel was in the process of helping Harrow shore up the few security members that were slated to become snipers. Kaslin was still learning chemistry with Toril, and Raine was helping whoever needed a hand, so that marked off all of his usual accompaniment. He could have taken more of his direct pack, but they all had important things to take care of as well.
Sahari was managing the pack and putting people where people needed to be put, Pan was working with Idee and Heralt to make a line of armour for the whole pack, and Mi’low was...well, Mi’low. He was pretty sure she was unofficially the master of the hunter’s lodge and spent most of her time keeping track of what came in and out of it, while also making sure that everyone got their fair share. It needed to be done with the settlement growing as much as it had, and it kept Mi’low busy enough to stymie the flow of complaints, so he wasn’t about to complain.
They double checked that they had everything that was needed; food, water, arrows, bolts, and some bags to store anything that the snares had caught on the way back. Four ranged and two melee weapons meant that they would be mostly using Jax and Nalah to soak hits if it came down to it, the others peppering it with projectiles. Given that Harrow was insistent on the bear-thing being resistant to anything they could use at a distance, they also carried spare weapons for the ranged users, just in case. Nodding, Joseph gestured to the group finishing up their preparations for the day’s trip.
“A moment, sir?” Scarlet called to him as she approached the gate, the Wraith flanked by Rose and Cobalt. The two Atmo were decked-out in their own armour, which appeared to be almost entirely metal, save for the palm lining the inside for comfort. Each of their six legs were adorned with broad shields, their bases capped off with a flat storage carriage. They looked like someone had a little too much fun testing how much the insects could effortlessly carry and had ended up with sapient hexapedal tanks.
“Only if you explain why those two would look more at home if they had cannons installed on their backs,” he quipped, an expression somewhere between surprised, amused, and plain dumbfounded plastered on his face. The blackish red-furred female smirked for a split-second before resuming her usual servile presentation.
“The young mistress had extended her request for these two to accompany you.”
Joseph tilted his head incredulously. “Violet told you to send them?”
Scarlet nodded, gesturing to the outfitted Atmo. “They have been under her tutelage for some time now, and wish to be of assistance.”
The Grand Hunter snapped his mouth closed when he was about to ask why his daughter would teach them anything that might be useful for fighting a deadly beast. Of course she did; It was one of the first things he did for her. It would have been weirder for her not to pass on what she knew after all the hours she spent either seeing him coach the others, or being coached herself. With the time she had under her belt, she was the local Atmo Close Quarters Combat specialist, and no one else understood how the modified boxing she learned worked with their bodies like she did.
He wore a hesitant expression, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Well, they’ve certainly geared up.”
“It is a product our smith is rather proud of,” the Wraith affirmed confidently.
He exhaled slowly. “Seems a bit much.”
She seemed to be expecting the remark, barely pausing to register what he said before responding. “Your kit wishes you safe, yet understands you would not allow her to accompany you. These two wish to be of assistance.”
To punctuate her point, the two nodded in agreement, walking forward and slinging some of the backpacks onto their carriages. It seemed ‘no’ wasn’t something they were going to accept after Violet had said her piece. He sighed, conceding that they wouldn’t slow the party down with everyone carrying so much weight in equipment, regardless of the bags. They took breaks frequently enough to accommodate the Atmo, so that wouldn’t hinder anything either.
“Fine,” he relented with a wave of his hand. “We’ll take them. Not like they’d hurt anyway. But–” He put a warning into his tone. “–they’re not playing the hero and getting themselves killed. This isn’t going to work if they think any of us dying is still a net positive, got it?”
The two Atmo mimed their understanding, Scarlet replying with a victorious smile. Joseph couldn’t help but bemusedly roll his eyes. The female had taken rather well to baby-sitting, and that seems to have extended to humouring the young Queen’s schemes now. It wasn’t an unwelcome addition to their little sojourn. At least they could haul back any larger game without it tacking hours onto the return trip.
He thanked Scarlet for her trouble before dismissing her, confirming with the group that everything was accounted for, and set off before it grew too late. He wasn’t looking to get caught out in the woods during the night. The Lilhuns might be fine, but he was pretty well blind unless the moon felt generous.
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Jax watched the two Atmo quietly follow on the sides of the group, their heavily armoured forms posing no issues with their naturally soundless movements in the forest. In the den, they would make moderate clacks and clicks as their chitinous legs contacted the ground, but the soft dirt and foliage stifled all but the smallest report of their travel. With Scarlet supervising alongside Violet, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the former Blade had influenced their movement with the goal in mind, though he had never paid much attention to how they walked before to compare.
He had to admit, having them carry the additional equipment was exceedingly useful. He had proposed having the group use the newly acquired platforms on their more arachnid-like abdomen to rest in shifts, but Joseph was quick to insist that the insects were of lesser stamina than even Lilhuns. The phrasing seemed like a comparative insult, but Jax had more than enough experience with the Human to know that he had simply spoken his mind. To him, everyone had sub-par stamina. Training had gone some way to remedy the discrepancy, but the Grand Hunter could still continue for longer than even the most well-conditioned of them.
The black-furred male rolled his shoulders, feeling the heft of his axe shift with the movement. It was an impressive size, the weight well-balanced and its edge sharp. He had once laid it to the ground out of curiosity and confirmed that it was about as tall as Pan from head to haft, though only if she stood to her full height. Regardless of its size, it was still lighter than the armour he chose to don.
Having only really worn leathers or a few sets of ironwood protections, the encumbering prominence of the iron equipment took getting used to. It wasn’t entirely restrictive, but did put a damper on any chances he had of sprinting from danger. That was fine, he supposed, since he was wearing it against a beast he had no experience with. It could very well outrun him regardless, and he would rather have the defences in either case.
Nalah seemed to be doing fine, the large barrier she kept on her back swaying slightly as she walked. She was unhindered by it, her movements barely affected by the bulk, which was reassuring. Joseph, however, seemed to be panting more than usual, the rolling cloud coverage easing as the sun progressively warmed the environment. The fog from earlier meant that it was rather humid, and that seemed to bore no well wishes for the male encased in dark leathers and thick plates. He had even flipped down his hood, the sweat beading on his skin adding a sheen to his visage.
“I liked this better when the sun didn’t exist,” the Human lamented quietly, just loud enough for Jax to hear. The black-furred male chuckled.
“It would be rather dark.”
Joseph glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I just don’t rank ‘heavily armoured hike through the woods’ high up on my list of things I want to do regularly.”
“I believe that list would be occupied by your mates, no?” he ribbed playfully, a smirk arising when the Grand Hunter shunted his eyes closed in a grimace.
“I hate you.”
“I can see your smile underneath your displeasure, Joseph,” Jax quipped, nudging the male with his elbow, then giving an apologetic smile when his friend almost fell. Joseph sighed, waving Cobalt over and fetching a water-skin from the luggage that the insect was ferrying without breaking stride—though he needed to be careful not to get stepped on.
The Atmo always amused Jax. Be it their passive demeanour hidden by their towering stature, or his interactions with the den-kit, they never failed to be curious people. Having the two that accompanied Volta with them was an unexpected development, but he couldn’t claim to disapprove. If they had been imparted the methods of combat that Violet had cultivated, then there was little worry of them being harmed by naught but perhaps their current target. At least not until there was a better reference of its strength than the single encounter the first-years had so long ago.
At the time, it had smashed pillars and pierced flesh effortlessly, claws proving to be little more than tempting ministrations of tender touch to the thick hide. Jax only had some of the pack’s recount to base the experience off of, but was content to take their word for it. He was, ashamedly, preoccupied taking care of baser needs when the event transpired, so he was woefully unprepared for the eventual encounter. Still, he was afforded the best the settlement had to offer so that he might serve his duty of protecting the Grand Hunter. Harrow would never forgive him if only he returned.
His thoughts were disturbed by Joseph calling for a rest, Jax’s legs thankful for the break from supporting the unusual weight for so long. The Human dispensed rations and water for the pack, the Atmo waiting until everyone else was supplied before accepting their portion. They rested on their base directly, instead of curling their legs beneath them like Jax had become accustomed. Perhaps the armour impeded such, or they wished to remain mobile in the event such was required. Regardless, they blocked what little breeze there was, forcing the Grand Hunter to walk beyond them to enjoy it in the shade. It was short-lived however, as Rose quickly repositioned to stay between the pack and whatever lay beyond their protections.
It was a futile effort, it seemed, because it repeated again twice before Joseph groaned loudly and threw himself atop the carriage to lay back, his legs dangling at the knee. He seemed perfectly content with the unorthodox arrangement, snorting his amusement along with a muttered comment about a ‘taxi.’
The entertaining sight was marred by a distant yelp, snapping the group to attention. Jax and Joseph traded looks, subtle nods and gestures given to move out while remaining quiet. Ignoring his earlier complaints, the Grand Hunter flicked his hood up and donned the mask, drawing his crossbow and readying a bolt. The hunter of the pack mimicked the preparation, the two security members loosely nocking their arrows while Rose, Cobalt, Jax, and Nalah took point.
They proceeded quietly for far longer than the proximity of the noise would have suggested, but marks and gashes upon the trees implied a moving conflict. Thoughts of it being a lost cause quickly became moot as a closer growl and bark shattered the careful silence they had been maintaining.
Motioning for the pack to stop, Joseph waved Jax forward, Nalah approaching the other side. Using the large shield as additional cover, they peered around a particularly thick tree. Locked in combat were two moss-wolves, both attacking a truly massive grey creature.
Twice the Human’s height, half that in width. Four pillars as legs—the muscular trunks sinewy and defined—supported the disturbing hunched figure, the wide base tapering slightly into a thick and extended torso. A singular eye-stalk replaced the head, the ocular organ atop it pitch black and free of any indication of its focus. Four arms with deadly claws parried and sliced the two yellow beasts as they attempted to drive off the predator, a sickeningly large maw gaping to catch any attempts at a lunge. The mouth of the creature almost occupied the entirety of the available surface area upon its front, the jagged bone tools of manduction undulating with the promise of sustenance.
Joseph pulled them back, cursing under his breath as he tried to fight off the tension. From Nalah’s worried expression, it seemed his caution was rather potent, the other members of the group smelling his reaction as well.
“So, what’s the plan, Jax?” the Human whispered, his grip on the crossbow alternating with his fingers stretching across the trigger lest his fidgeting cause a misfire.
“I thought that, with your record, you would wish to tame it for the settlement,” Jax replied while thinking through a plan of action. He was glad that his friend trusted him, but he wished he had known the true scale of the beast prior. Joseph grit his teeth, turning to glance past the tree again with sarcasm pouring out of his response.
“Can’t quite see Winnie-the-woodchipper there playing great with kids.”
“You say that after adopting an Atmo as kit, Grand Hunter,” he returned, nodding to himself when a plan formed. The Human smiled, the banter easing the tension somewhat. “Rose, Cobalt, you two are the most well defended of us. Circle around and drive the beast this way. You should be capable of such without noise, yes?”
The two insects nodded, emptying their luggage behind a tree so as not to lose any of it before disappearing into the trees. The slight glimmer of their iron armour was the only indication of their position through the dense forest. Jax hoped that the beast was not particularly curious about the dimly pulsing glare, nor finished with its current altercation in time to impede the pair.
Satisfied with their progress, he motioned for the two security members to scale a tree and gain a superior vantage point. Their weapons would be able to maintain a more rapid pace of sustained fire at longer ranges. Joseph and the hunter were instructed to hide behind trees nearby, though the Human would need to remain grounded as his lack of claws made scaling the large flora difficult with his equipment.
Finally, Nalah and he positioned themselves much closer, in order to flank the creature as it fled the Atmo and occupy it long enough for the others to bleed it out, if not outright dispose of it.
With the forms of the Atmo peeking through the brush opposite them, Jax raised his axe to signal the start.
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Joseph felt the hammering in his chest, his heart preparing him to fight for his life against the walking abomination that easily outclassed the only other predator that he had experience with. Sure, the moss-wolves were easy to take down once you had equipment and a plan, but that thing screamed danger.
He watched Jax and Nalah set up behind thick trees, their goal being for Jax to hopefully disable a leg or two with the war-axe while Nalah occupied it with the shield. As the two strongest members of his little family, he trusted both to do their job.
As a clusterfuck of animal and torture device, he had no faith in the creature playing along.
Swallowing his hesitation, he adjusted his grip on the crossbow again, mentally tallying his shots and cursing himself for not researching explosives. Sure, Toril didn’t want to be involved in that kind of weapon, but at the moment, the tailless white-furred male could suck it up and make one anyway. Joseph would give his left nut to see how quickly the chemist would make weapons of mass destruction just to annihilate whatever that thing called home.
Jax raised his axe, glinting the sunlight of it towards the Atmo. Receiving the start signal, the two clicked and loosed a deafening screech, the Human’s ears ringing even from this distance.
The beast seemed unperturbed by the noise, though the lack of visible ears may have had something to do with the lacklustre effect. Regardless, it did notice the two armour-clad insects charging at it, and smartly decided to extradite itself from the area. The moss-wolves, however, didn’t quite get the memo, mistaking the advancing assistance as yet another foe to defend themselves from.
He had to say, Violet taught the two well. They flashed their blades out in the same flicker jab that he had shown his daughter, and with an unceremonious squelch, the two bisected canines landed in four pieces, a vibrant green ichor now staining the weapon-like appendages of the Atmo. Undeterred by their first act of violence—as far as he was aware, anyway—they continued herding the beast.
It wasn’t as fast as they might have feared, its quadrupedal gait hindered by its proportions, but it was still quick enough to be damn intimidating. Its arms acted as a counter balance, constantly adjusting this way and that just to keep it stable. That thing was clearly never meant for sprinting, all its mobility being given to the overactive maw that pulsated with the exertion.
He readied his crossbow, the shaking in his hands not ruining his aim against such a large target. He eyeballed the distance between the creature and the ambush point, forcibly moving his finger off the trigger so that he didn’t fire early.
Closer. Come on. Almost.
Now.
Jax wound up like a particularly enthusiastic lumberjack, putting his full body into the rotation. The massive axe swung like a horizontal pendulum striking home with all the finality of a clock tolling midnight. It bit into the front leg of the beast, only sinking a few inches before momentum nearly wretched the weapon from the black-furred male. Luckily, the force and timing was enough to trip it, the creature crashing to the forest floor with a deafening roar of pain.
They could hurt it. That made him feel better.
His relief evaporated as the beast swiftly recovered, hauling itself from the ground faster than he thought possible, but his archers took it for an unspoken signal. Arrows and bolts peppered its thick hide, to no effect—it shrugged off the projectiles like they were nothing more than pine needles, none sinking far enough to gain notable purchase.
Jax hefted his axe for another strike, careful not to over-commit this time. Nalah prodded the beast wherever she could with her pike, the melee weapon sliced and skewered just past the surface of the hide, though not enough to do more than marr. It was, however, enough to gain the attention of the target, the creature swinging two of its four arms to rake across the shield that the blond-furred female held. The iron plating across the front let out an unearthly shriek as claws ripped and crumpled the metal.
Well, fuck.
Nalah was quick to react, treating the shield less as an immovable barrier and more like a slight distance buffer, dodging in and out of range to steal jabs with the polearm. The security members nocked another volley, picking different targets than before. An arrow bounced harmlessly off the black orb of an eye, another finding purchase in what passed for gums in its mouth.
The hint was received; aim for the mouth. Thankfully, that was a large target. Less thankfully, it realized that flashing its teeth was detrimental to its health, slamming the maw closed.
Jax managed another swing, this time into one of the rear legs. It wasn’t as effective as the first strike, but it did warrant a sweeping double back-fist from the creature, scoring Jax’s armour with shallow claw marks as he jumped backwards. Joseph let out a breath as he fired his second shot, only just narrowly missing the sliver of a gap between razor teeth that the enraged attack afforded. It couldn’t keep its mouth shut forever, each frenzied swipe pulling its form enough for glimpses of softer flesh within to appear. The hunter dropped from their tree, darting across to reposition for a wider angle to capitalize on. The creature noticed, lunging forward to eviscerate the easier target.
Joseph blinked as two armoured figures jumped in front of the Lilhun, raising their blades in a tight guard to block the four arms grabbing for a quick meal. The beast recoiled with a thunderous screech, two of its appendages sporting deep gashes that fountained blood, while the others managed to impact above the edged outside of the blades. Rose and Cobalt pressed forward, buying time and space for the hunter to collect themselves and scale up another perch. Taking advantage of its pain, two new arrows ripped through the air, smacking into exposed inner flesh. Two new protrusions joined the first in the mouth, one landing next to the existing projectile, while the other cleared the gateway of serration, driving deeply inside of it.
More flicker jabs and extended straights pushed and cut the beast as it tried to gain distance from the two that wounded it, every retaliatory strike earning it another gash in its grey hide.. Unencumbered by the constant barrage, Nalah thrust into its legs more vigorously, her body leaning into each attack to gain every inch of penetration she could into the muscle and thick hide.
Jax used the chance to score another chopping blow, doubling down on a previous wound to a back leg—striking bone this time, based on the unholy wail the beast uttered. Joseph raised his crossbow to land another shot into its mouth, but the beast flailed wildly to fend off the ambush.
Rose managed to block, Jax lunged backwards, Nalah deflected most of it with what remained of her shield, but Cobalt was caught by a strike, taking the hit to its torso. The Atmo flew backwards, rolling when it landed, the carriage and assorted armoured plates trailing behind it. Rose shifted instantly, covering the direction that their companion had been sent while Jax and Nalah focused on pulling the beast away from the downed combatant.
Joseph’s eyes flicked to the Atmo, waging an internal battle on whether helping the insect would be better or worse for the situation as a whole. He didn’t want to lighten up their assault if it would just mean more injuries, but Cobalt could be in dire need for a patch job. It was hard to tell from where he was.
Cursing, he bolted from his spot, firing off one last round into the gaping maw before clipping the crossbow onto his armour and sliding on his knees in front of Cobalt, healroot hastily retrieved from his pocket.
He paused, sighing in relief when none of the armour bore more than deep gashes, the carapace underneath unblemished by the attack. Cobalt clicked lightly, dazed, but otherwise seeming unhurt. Unlearned in the physiology relevant, he ushered the Atmo to remain out of the fight for fear of concussion or something similar. They could look at the insect back at the base to be sure later.
“Joseph!”
His head spun around at both Jax and Nalah screaming his name, a massive clawed hand sweeping at him—the monster's approach unnoticed while he focused on Cobalt. Lacking a better option, he lunged forward towards the underside of the beast to dodge the swipe, crashing to his shoulder on the dirt below.
The creature raised a leg above Joseph, pounding the earth scant inches from his head as he rolled sideways. Ignoring the kicked up dirt, he brought his fist to the underside of the beast, flicking the release on his bracer.
Blood spouted from the newly formed wound, the blade breaking at the mechanism as the massive animal lurched in pain, Joseph rolling out of the way of another attempted trampling. He scrambled to his feet, feeling the wind of another strike narrowly missing him.
Yeah, that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the injuries renewed the desire to flee in the monstrosity, the group of attackers proving too dangerous to continue challenging. It stumbled away from them, sparing Cobalt from its panicked trudging. Jax and Nalah started to run towards him, worry evident in their eyes, but he barked for them to finish it, redirecting the two to keep the pressure going. He didn’t want to mention the pain in the arm from where the bracer hitched. It didn’t feel broken, and thus was irrelevant.
Pressure applied, the grey beast picked a random direction free of opponents to escape, ignorant of the waiting security. When it was too close for them to shoot into its mouth at a decent angle, they slung the bows over their shoulders and drew the swords they had been afforded, patiently waiting with the blades turned down.
It passed below them, the two Lilhuns dropping from the branches to put their full weight into the plunging blades. Both landed on the large target, one sword sinking deep into a shoulder, while the other managed to pierce one of its hip joints. The beast spun haphazardly to dislodge the ‘new’ threats, both security members kicking off and finding new trees to set up in.
Whatever damage was actually done, it had lost the use of an arm, and its gait shifted awkwardly as the blade lodged in its hip worked more harm with each shambling step.. Emboldened, Jax picked up the pace, struggling to position himself with the amount of metal he wore. Ducking another swipe of its claws, he saw his chance and swung, pivoting with his axe as a counter weight. For the third time, his axe blade found the wound in its leg, adding a sickening crunch as the bone snapped from the impact.
The creature swung wildly, forced to favour its two remaining good legs, and the only other leg that could still support at least some of its weight. It was unstable now, the hunched figure swaying while unmoving. Unable to run, it decided to go down with as many of them as it could.
Rose caught up with the attack, drawing attention from the comparatively squishy Nalah as the blond-furred female deflected a wayward swing with her shield. The once iron-plated ironwood now sporting little more than jagged scraps of metal atop its silver wooden structure, a series of deep gouges marring the surface. Two lunging thrusts with the pike bit flesh, drawing new blood from the beast.
Joseph loaded his crossbow, getting off two bolts, but not managing to keep it steady enough to hit anything of use, his arm faltering under the weight of the weapon. Cursing, he decided to flank the beast and try his luck with the other bracer. If nothing else, the force in which the blade deployed was enough to pierce the thick hide, and the others were doing a good job of distracting it.
The red armoured Atmo let loose a series of directed swings, the fifth severing an arm in motion, the flying appendage forcing Nalah to raise her shield to block the unorthodox projectile. The female was sent sprawling from the weight of the impact, but the beast was too busy voicing its agony to take advantage of it. Jax worked another two chops into the broad legs, but neither managed to incapacitate it any more, and the prolonged exertion was slowing his reflexes.
As if cued into his waning energy, the beast flung Jax with another strike, the hunter of the group sinking a bolt deep into the cavernous flesh of its mouth to prevent an attempt at following up.
Joseph roared, desperate to finish it off before the creature could do the same to his downed pack. He sprinted at the monster's back and slid underneath it with as much speed as he could muster. Throwing his fist into the passing undercarriage, he let the deployed blade leave a long gash in its wake.
The grey monster lost its ability to stand, torn tendons, blood loss, and inflicted injuries taking their toll. The Grand Hunter kicked off his knees to fling himself out of the way of the collapsing figure, grimacing as the remaining bracer proved unable to support the abuse he had put it through. He looked back at the beast, the flailing body failing to right itself as teeth did little more than gouge dirt, its back exposed. Rose approached, raising their blades together and plunging it through the body over and over until it stopped moving.
Exhausted, the Atmo dropped where it was, breathing heavily. Joseph’s instinct to yell their victory was delayed as he hurried over to Jax and Nalah to confirm he didn't need to bring back bad news. Nalah seemed fine, if a bit sore from hitting the dirt and rolling, while Jax just asked to lay down when he heard that everything was over. Cobalt came over to the group, the armour that had come off collected atop the carriage it had managed to loosely affix to its base.
It was light, a chuckle originating from the Human as he slumped to the ground against a tree, but soon the entire group was roaring with laughter as victory settled in their minds. The two security members helped the hunter begin disassembling the beast, their contribution to the fight leaving them with more energy than the rest. They hadn’t been slacking off, that much was certain. The number of arrows jammed into the maw of the thing would have guaranteed a few extra seconds of survival and chances to escape if one of them had been forcibly tossed into there, and it had caused enough pause for the rest of them to get in a few hits up close.
Joseph rested across from Jax and Nalah, letting his heart rate slow from the rapid pace it had been pinned to since the start of the conflict. His arm continued its protests, but from the amount of movement he still had, he guessed that he had just strained the elbow. A few days taking it easy should straighten that right up.
Once the active members were about half way through processing the creature for hide and meat, Cobalt approached him, a mimed request for assistance putting their armour back on being redirected to Nalah since he doubted he could lift the damn pieces without hurting himself at the moment. She obliged, getting the blue Atmo back in full attire, though it took a while.
Rose stood first, stopping over to allow the hunter to place collected bits and pieces onto the carriage before securing it with whatever they could make due. A security member gathered the moss-wolf corpses for a similar treatment. Waste not, want not, he supposed.
Rose ended up carrying most of their spoils. When he was about to ask why, he, Jax, and Nalah were dragged to Cobalt and hefted onto the carriage. A series of confused questions revealed that the rest wanted to head back before it started getting dark, and it was pretty obvious who was the most exhausted of them. Lacking the will or energy to argue it, he flopped back on the Atmo as the trees passed them by, Nalah resting her legs across him as her head sat on Jax’s lap. The black-furred male didn’t so much as smirk, so it was clear he had pushed himself too far to quip about the arrangement as he laid down.
“The next time you wish to exhaust me this much, Joseph,” the Head of Security started after a long while of silence, tiredness in his voice, “I would prefer it to involve my mate and a bed.”
The Human snorted, closing his eyes and enjoying the lack of walking as the surprisingly stable Atmo carried the three of them. “Fuck off, Jax.”
“Of course, Grand Hunter.”
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A/N: Patreon is fixed!... aka new one cuz problems with the last. Check it out to support the story, get AI character art every now and then, or even preview sections of chapters as i write them! (aka, before kieve gets to fix them :D)
submitted by WaveOfWire to HFY [link] [comments]
u/KieveKRS providing the Trash certification of quality! (with help from u/coldfireknight cuz this one needed it.)
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Nalah affixed the massive shield to her back, the rectangular form large enough for him to fit behind while only needing to crouch slightly. It was mostly ironwood, but the sides and front were metal-plated, so it still weighed a considerable amount. Despite that, the thing’s bulk hardly seemed to be noticed by the blonde-furred female, likely due to the constant construction work she involved herself in. It paired oddly with the long pike she insisted on using, but he couldn’t deny that poking at things while hiding behind a mobile wall sounded like a good idea.
Jax was wearing his new armour, the bulky chest-piece a mirror of his blond-furred pack mate’s. Though he forwent the protection a buckler or likewise would offer, he doubled up on gear. Gauntlets, vambraces, pauldrons, and anything else he could wear to compliment the massive axe he had taken a liking to.
Where Nalah was fitted to look like an apocalypse survivor—her protections limited to her torso, forearms, and shield—the black-furred male resembled a giant, if underfunded, paladin. All he needed now was some religious imagery and a penchant for exalting the qualities of their god. Joseph almost nudged the guy to suggest it for kicks.
On second thought, he decided that Jax absolutely did not need a reason to start yelling about the Human-turned-religious-figure, because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t. There was no telling what he would choose to say, and the Grand Hunter was perfectly happy never knowing.
Having been with the male as long as he had, it would probably involve ‘taming’ females or something else that would leave him groaning for weeks, if not just contemplating another high-dive from the cliff.
Joseph fixed his own equipment, the ‘Wraith armour’ worn over his own thin iron breastplate. He wasn’t thrilled to wear the extra weight, but it beat being mauled by the thing they were heading out to kill. The trips so far had been tolerable, fog and overcast skies keeping the temperature in check, but he didn’t want to go out in this on a hotter day as Summer really kicked back in. He was sweaty enough without baking inside all this crap.
He adjusted the wolf-skull mask, the rest of the hunting party having gotten over the worst of the unease it gave them. Though they’d needed to rotate people out for the sake of fairness, this would be their eighth consecutive scouting. Using the information that Raine and Faye provided, they narrowed down a likely stomping grounds for the creature and were systematically clearing sectors. It might have been discouraging to keep looking after so long, but the occasional marking on trees and the odd moss-wolf corpse tipped them off that they were getting close. There was still another week’s worth of searching left if today wasn’t the day, but somehow he doubted they wouldn’t need that long.
All in all, they numbered six; larger parties were attempted, but their efforts at stealth quickly became pointless between so many trudging through the forest and stopping for breaks. There was a bit of a scare where one of Mi’low’s pack went missing, but the guy had just stopped to relieve himself. Since the discovery was made by someone else knocking him over in the process by mistake, they decided that keeping the number smaller made communication easier. And lowered the amount of grumbling about needing a bath.
Jax, Nalah, two security members, one of the hunters, and him. Sure, grabbing Tel or the Wraiths would have been a bit more useful for cohesion, but they were all busy with things, and he didn’t want to grind everything in the settlement to a halt for nothing if the search turned up empty again. They were more suited to taking out their fellow Lilhun than some monster in the woods, as much as he disliked the thought.
Scarlet was spending a lot of time with Violet and the new Atmo, Faye was spending much of her recovery with the moss-wolves and moss-pup, and Tel was in the process of helping Harrow shore up the few security members that were slated to become snipers. Kaslin was still learning chemistry with Toril, and Raine was helping whoever needed a hand, so that marked off all of his usual accompaniment. He could have taken more of his direct pack, but they all had important things to take care of as well.
Sahari was managing the pack and putting people where people needed to be put, Pan was working with Idee and Heralt to make a line of armour for the whole pack, and Mi’low was...well, Mi’low. He was pretty sure she was unofficially the master of the hunter’s lodge and spent most of her time keeping track of what came in and out of it, while also making sure that everyone got their fair share. It needed to be done with the settlement growing as much as it had, and it kept Mi’low busy enough to stymie the flow of complaints, so he wasn’t about to complain.
They double checked that they had everything that was needed; food, water, arrows, bolts, and some bags to store anything that the snares had caught on the way back. Four ranged and two melee weapons meant that they would be mostly using Jax and Nalah to soak hits if it came down to it, the others peppering it with projectiles. Given that Harrow was insistent on the bear-thing being resistant to anything they could use at a distance, they also carried spare weapons for the ranged users, just in case. Nodding, Joseph gestured to the group finishing up their preparations for the day’s trip.
“A moment, sir?” Scarlet called to him as she approached the gate, the Wraith flanked by Rose and Cobalt. The two Atmo were decked-out in their own armour, which appeared to be almost entirely metal, save for the palm lining the inside for comfort. Each of their six legs were adorned with broad shields, their bases capped off with a flat storage carriage. They looked like someone had a little too much fun testing how much the insects could effortlessly carry and had ended up with sapient hexapedal tanks.
“Only if you explain why those two would look more at home if they had cannons installed on their backs,” he quipped, an expression somewhere between surprised, amused, and plain dumbfounded plastered on his face. The blackish red-furred female smirked for a split-second before resuming her usual servile presentation.
“The young mistress had extended her request for these two to accompany you.”
Joseph tilted his head incredulously. “Violet told you to send them?”
Scarlet nodded, gesturing to the outfitted Atmo. “They have been under her tutelage for some time now, and wish to be of assistance.”
The Grand Hunter snapped his mouth closed when he was about to ask why his daughter would teach them anything that might be useful for fighting a deadly beast. Of course she did; It was one of the first things he did for her. It would have been weirder for her not to pass on what she knew after all the hours she spent either seeing him coach the others, or being coached herself. With the time she had under her belt, she was the local Atmo Close Quarters Combat specialist, and no one else understood how the modified boxing she learned worked with their bodies like she did.
He wore a hesitant expression, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Well, they’ve certainly geared up.”
“It is a product our smith is rather proud of,” the Wraith affirmed confidently.
He exhaled slowly. “Seems a bit much.”
She seemed to be expecting the remark, barely pausing to register what he said before responding. “Your kit wishes you safe, yet understands you would not allow her to accompany you. These two wish to be of assistance.”
To punctuate her point, the two nodded in agreement, walking forward and slinging some of the backpacks onto their carriages. It seemed ‘no’ wasn’t something they were going to accept after Violet had said her piece. He sighed, conceding that they wouldn’t slow the party down with everyone carrying so much weight in equipment, regardless of the bags. They took breaks frequently enough to accommodate the Atmo, so that wouldn’t hinder anything either.
“Fine,” he relented with a wave of his hand. “We’ll take them. Not like they’d hurt anyway. But–” He put a warning into his tone. “–they’re not playing the hero and getting themselves killed. This isn’t going to work if they think any of us dying is still a net positive, got it?”
The two Atmo mimed their understanding, Scarlet replying with a victorious smile. Joseph couldn’t help but bemusedly roll his eyes. The female had taken rather well to baby-sitting, and that seems to have extended to humouring the young Queen’s schemes now. It wasn’t an unwelcome addition to their little sojourn. At least they could haul back any larger game without it tacking hours onto the return trip.
He thanked Scarlet for her trouble before dismissing her, confirming with the group that everything was accounted for, and set off before it grew too late. He wasn’t looking to get caught out in the woods during the night. The Lilhuns might be fine, but he was pretty well blind unless the moon felt generous.
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Jax watched the two Atmo quietly follow on the sides of the group, their heavily armoured forms posing no issues with their naturally soundless movements in the forest. In the den, they would make moderate clacks and clicks as their chitinous legs contacted the ground, but the soft dirt and foliage stifled all but the smallest report of their travel. With Scarlet supervising alongside Violet, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the former Blade had influenced their movement with the goal in mind, though he had never paid much attention to how they walked before to compare.
He had to admit, having them carry the additional equipment was exceedingly useful. He had proposed having the group use the newly acquired platforms on their more arachnid-like abdomen to rest in shifts, but Joseph was quick to insist that the insects were of lesser stamina than even Lilhuns. The phrasing seemed like a comparative insult, but Jax had more than enough experience with the Human to know that he had simply spoken his mind. To him, everyone had sub-par stamina. Training had gone some way to remedy the discrepancy, but the Grand Hunter could still continue for longer than even the most well-conditioned of them.
The black-furred male rolled his shoulders, feeling the heft of his axe shift with the movement. It was an impressive size, the weight well-balanced and its edge sharp. He had once laid it to the ground out of curiosity and confirmed that it was about as tall as Pan from head to haft, though only if she stood to her full height. Regardless of its size, it was still lighter than the armour he chose to don.
Having only really worn leathers or a few sets of ironwood protections, the encumbering prominence of the iron equipment took getting used to. It wasn’t entirely restrictive, but did put a damper on any chances he had of sprinting from danger. That was fine, he supposed, since he was wearing it against a beast he had no experience with. It could very well outrun him regardless, and he would rather have the defences in either case.
Nalah seemed to be doing fine, the large barrier she kept on her back swaying slightly as she walked. She was unhindered by it, her movements barely affected by the bulk, which was reassuring. Joseph, however, seemed to be panting more than usual, the rolling cloud coverage easing as the sun progressively warmed the environment. The fog from earlier meant that it was rather humid, and that seemed to bore no well wishes for the male encased in dark leathers and thick plates. He had even flipped down his hood, the sweat beading on his skin adding a sheen to his visage.
“I liked this better when the sun didn’t exist,” the Human lamented quietly, just loud enough for Jax to hear. The black-furred male chuckled.
“It would be rather dark.”
Joseph glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I just don’t rank ‘heavily armoured hike through the woods’ high up on my list of things I want to do regularly.”
“I believe that list would be occupied by your mates, no?” he ribbed playfully, a smirk arising when the Grand Hunter shunted his eyes closed in a grimace.
“I hate you.”
“I can see your smile underneath your displeasure, Joseph,” Jax quipped, nudging the male with his elbow, then giving an apologetic smile when his friend almost fell. Joseph sighed, waving Cobalt over and fetching a water-skin from the luggage that the insect was ferrying without breaking stride—though he needed to be careful not to get stepped on.
The Atmo always amused Jax. Be it their passive demeanour hidden by their towering stature, or his interactions with the den-kit, they never failed to be curious people. Having the two that accompanied Volta with them was an unexpected development, but he couldn’t claim to disapprove. If they had been imparted the methods of combat that Violet had cultivated, then there was little worry of them being harmed by naught but perhaps their current target. At least not until there was a better reference of its strength than the single encounter the first-years had so long ago.
At the time, it had smashed pillars and pierced flesh effortlessly, claws proving to be little more than tempting ministrations of tender touch to the thick hide. Jax only had some of the pack’s recount to base the experience off of, but was content to take their word for it. He was, ashamedly, preoccupied taking care of baser needs when the event transpired, so he was woefully unprepared for the eventual encounter. Still, he was afforded the best the settlement had to offer so that he might serve his duty of protecting the Grand Hunter. Harrow would never forgive him if only he returned.
His thoughts were disturbed by Joseph calling for a rest, Jax’s legs thankful for the break from supporting the unusual weight for so long. The Human dispensed rations and water for the pack, the Atmo waiting until everyone else was supplied before accepting their portion. They rested on their base directly, instead of curling their legs beneath them like Jax had become accustomed. Perhaps the armour impeded such, or they wished to remain mobile in the event such was required. Regardless, they blocked what little breeze there was, forcing the Grand Hunter to walk beyond them to enjoy it in the shade. It was short-lived however, as Rose quickly repositioned to stay between the pack and whatever lay beyond their protections.
It was a futile effort, it seemed, because it repeated again twice before Joseph groaned loudly and threw himself atop the carriage to lay back, his legs dangling at the knee. He seemed perfectly content with the unorthodox arrangement, snorting his amusement along with a muttered comment about a ‘taxi.’
The entertaining sight was marred by a distant yelp, snapping the group to attention. Jax and Joseph traded looks, subtle nods and gestures given to move out while remaining quiet. Ignoring his earlier complaints, the Grand Hunter flicked his hood up and donned the mask, drawing his crossbow and readying a bolt. The hunter of the pack mimicked the preparation, the two security members loosely nocking their arrows while Rose, Cobalt, Jax, and Nalah took point.
They proceeded quietly for far longer than the proximity of the noise would have suggested, but marks and gashes upon the trees implied a moving conflict. Thoughts of it being a lost cause quickly became moot as a closer growl and bark shattered the careful silence they had been maintaining.
Motioning for the pack to stop, Joseph waved Jax forward, Nalah approaching the other side. Using the large shield as additional cover, they peered around a particularly thick tree. Locked in combat were two moss-wolves, both attacking a truly massive grey creature.
Twice the Human’s height, half that in width. Four pillars as legs—the muscular trunks sinewy and defined—supported the disturbing hunched figure, the wide base tapering slightly into a thick and extended torso. A singular eye-stalk replaced the head, the ocular organ atop it pitch black and free of any indication of its focus. Four arms with deadly claws parried and sliced the two yellow beasts as they attempted to drive off the predator, a sickeningly large maw gaping to catch any attempts at a lunge. The mouth of the creature almost occupied the entirety of the available surface area upon its front, the jagged bone tools of manduction undulating with the promise of sustenance.
Joseph pulled them back, cursing under his breath as he tried to fight off the tension. From Nalah’s worried expression, it seemed his caution was rather potent, the other members of the group smelling his reaction as well.
“So, what’s the plan, Jax?” the Human whispered, his grip on the crossbow alternating with his fingers stretching across the trigger lest his fidgeting cause a misfire.
“I thought that, with your record, you would wish to tame it for the settlement,” Jax replied while thinking through a plan of action. He was glad that his friend trusted him, but he wished he had known the true scale of the beast prior. Joseph grit his teeth, turning to glance past the tree again with sarcasm pouring out of his response.
“Can’t quite see Winnie-the-woodchipper there playing great with kids.”
“You say that after adopting an Atmo as kit, Grand Hunter,” he returned, nodding to himself when a plan formed. The Human smiled, the banter easing the tension somewhat. “Rose, Cobalt, you two are the most well defended of us. Circle around and drive the beast this way. You should be capable of such without noise, yes?”
The two insects nodded, emptying their luggage behind a tree so as not to lose any of it before disappearing into the trees. The slight glimmer of their iron armour was the only indication of their position through the dense forest. Jax hoped that the beast was not particularly curious about the dimly pulsing glare, nor finished with its current altercation in time to impede the pair.
Satisfied with their progress, he motioned for the two security members to scale a tree and gain a superior vantage point. Their weapons would be able to maintain a more rapid pace of sustained fire at longer ranges. Joseph and the hunter were instructed to hide behind trees nearby, though the Human would need to remain grounded as his lack of claws made scaling the large flora difficult with his equipment.
Finally, Nalah and he positioned themselves much closer, in order to flank the creature as it fled the Atmo and occupy it long enough for the others to bleed it out, if not outright dispose of it.
With the forms of the Atmo peeking through the brush opposite them, Jax raised his axe to signal the start.
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Joseph felt the hammering in his chest, his heart preparing him to fight for his life against the walking abomination that easily outclassed the only other predator that he had experience with. Sure, the moss-wolves were easy to take down once you had equipment and a plan, but that thing screamed danger.
He watched Jax and Nalah set up behind thick trees, their goal being for Jax to hopefully disable a leg or two with the war-axe while Nalah occupied it with the shield. As the two strongest members of his little family, he trusted both to do their job.
As a clusterfuck of animal and torture device, he had no faith in the creature playing along.
Swallowing his hesitation, he adjusted his grip on the crossbow again, mentally tallying his shots and cursing himself for not researching explosives. Sure, Toril didn’t want to be involved in that kind of weapon, but at the moment, the tailless white-furred male could suck it up and make one anyway. Joseph would give his left nut to see how quickly the chemist would make weapons of mass destruction just to annihilate whatever that thing called home.
Jax raised his axe, glinting the sunlight of it towards the Atmo. Receiving the start signal, the two clicked and loosed a deafening screech, the Human’s ears ringing even from this distance.
The beast seemed unperturbed by the noise, though the lack of visible ears may have had something to do with the lacklustre effect. Regardless, it did notice the two armour-clad insects charging at it, and smartly decided to extradite itself from the area. The moss-wolves, however, didn’t quite get the memo, mistaking the advancing assistance as yet another foe to defend themselves from.
He had to say, Violet taught the two well. They flashed their blades out in the same flicker jab that he had shown his daughter, and with an unceremonious squelch, the two bisected canines landed in four pieces, a vibrant green ichor now staining the weapon-like appendages of the Atmo. Undeterred by their first act of violence—as far as he was aware, anyway—they continued herding the beast.
It wasn’t as fast as they might have feared, its quadrupedal gait hindered by its proportions, but it was still quick enough to be damn intimidating. Its arms acted as a counter balance, constantly adjusting this way and that just to keep it stable. That thing was clearly never meant for sprinting, all its mobility being given to the overactive maw that pulsated with the exertion.
He readied his crossbow, the shaking in his hands not ruining his aim against such a large target. He eyeballed the distance between the creature and the ambush point, forcibly moving his finger off the trigger so that he didn’t fire early.
Closer. Come on. Almost.
Now.
Jax wound up like a particularly enthusiastic lumberjack, putting his full body into the rotation. The massive axe swung like a horizontal pendulum striking home with all the finality of a clock tolling midnight. It bit into the front leg of the beast, only sinking a few inches before momentum nearly wretched the weapon from the black-furred male. Luckily, the force and timing was enough to trip it, the creature crashing to the forest floor with a deafening roar of pain.
They could hurt it. That made him feel better.
His relief evaporated as the beast swiftly recovered, hauling itself from the ground faster than he thought possible, but his archers took it for an unspoken signal. Arrows and bolts peppered its thick hide, to no effect—it shrugged off the projectiles like they were nothing more than pine needles, none sinking far enough to gain notable purchase.
Jax hefted his axe for another strike, careful not to over-commit this time. Nalah prodded the beast wherever she could with her pike, the melee weapon sliced and skewered just past the surface of the hide, though not enough to do more than marr. It was, however, enough to gain the attention of the target, the creature swinging two of its four arms to rake across the shield that the blond-furred female held. The iron plating across the front let out an unearthly shriek as claws ripped and crumpled the metal.
Well, fuck.
Nalah was quick to react, treating the shield less as an immovable barrier and more like a slight distance buffer, dodging in and out of range to steal jabs with the polearm. The security members nocked another volley, picking different targets than before. An arrow bounced harmlessly off the black orb of an eye, another finding purchase in what passed for gums in its mouth.
The hint was received; aim for the mouth. Thankfully, that was a large target. Less thankfully, it realized that flashing its teeth was detrimental to its health, slamming the maw closed.
Jax managed another swing, this time into one of the rear legs. It wasn’t as effective as the first strike, but it did warrant a sweeping double back-fist from the creature, scoring Jax’s armour with shallow claw marks as he jumped backwards. Joseph let out a breath as he fired his second shot, only just narrowly missing the sliver of a gap between razor teeth that the enraged attack afforded. It couldn’t keep its mouth shut forever, each frenzied swipe pulling its form enough for glimpses of softer flesh within to appear. The hunter dropped from their tree, darting across to reposition for a wider angle to capitalize on. The creature noticed, lunging forward to eviscerate the easier target.
Joseph blinked as two armoured figures jumped in front of the Lilhun, raising their blades in a tight guard to block the four arms grabbing for a quick meal. The beast recoiled with a thunderous screech, two of its appendages sporting deep gashes that fountained blood, while the others managed to impact above the edged outside of the blades. Rose and Cobalt pressed forward, buying time and space for the hunter to collect themselves and scale up another perch. Taking advantage of its pain, two new arrows ripped through the air, smacking into exposed inner flesh. Two new protrusions joined the first in the mouth, one landing next to the existing projectile, while the other cleared the gateway of serration, driving deeply inside of it.
More flicker jabs and extended straights pushed and cut the beast as it tried to gain distance from the two that wounded it, every retaliatory strike earning it another gash in its grey hide.. Unencumbered by the constant barrage, Nalah thrust into its legs more vigorously, her body leaning into each attack to gain every inch of penetration she could into the muscle and thick hide.
Jax used the chance to score another chopping blow, doubling down on a previous wound to a back leg—striking bone this time, based on the unholy wail the beast uttered. Joseph raised his crossbow to land another shot into its mouth, but the beast flailed wildly to fend off the ambush.
Rose managed to block, Jax lunged backwards, Nalah deflected most of it with what remained of her shield, but Cobalt was caught by a strike, taking the hit to its torso. The Atmo flew backwards, rolling when it landed, the carriage and assorted armoured plates trailing behind it. Rose shifted instantly, covering the direction that their companion had been sent while Jax and Nalah focused on pulling the beast away from the downed combatant.
Joseph’s eyes flicked to the Atmo, waging an internal battle on whether helping the insect would be better or worse for the situation as a whole. He didn’t want to lighten up their assault if it would just mean more injuries, but Cobalt could be in dire need for a patch job. It was hard to tell from where he was.
Cursing, he bolted from his spot, firing off one last round into the gaping maw before clipping the crossbow onto his armour and sliding on his knees in front of Cobalt, healroot hastily retrieved from his pocket.
He paused, sighing in relief when none of the armour bore more than deep gashes, the carapace underneath unblemished by the attack. Cobalt clicked lightly, dazed, but otherwise seeming unhurt. Unlearned in the physiology relevant, he ushered the Atmo to remain out of the fight for fear of concussion or something similar. They could look at the insect back at the base to be sure later.
“Joseph!”
His head spun around at both Jax and Nalah screaming his name, a massive clawed hand sweeping at him—the monster's approach unnoticed while he focused on Cobalt. Lacking a better option, he lunged forward towards the underside of the beast to dodge the swipe, crashing to his shoulder on the dirt below.
The creature raised a leg above Joseph, pounding the earth scant inches from his head as he rolled sideways. Ignoring the kicked up dirt, he brought his fist to the underside of the beast, flicking the release on his bracer.
Blood spouted from the newly formed wound, the blade breaking at the mechanism as the massive animal lurched in pain, Joseph rolling out of the way of another attempted trampling. He scrambled to his feet, feeling the wind of another strike narrowly missing him.
Yeah, that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the injuries renewed the desire to flee in the monstrosity, the group of attackers proving too dangerous to continue challenging. It stumbled away from them, sparing Cobalt from its panicked trudging. Jax and Nalah started to run towards him, worry evident in their eyes, but he barked for them to finish it, redirecting the two to keep the pressure going. He didn’t want to mention the pain in the arm from where the bracer hitched. It didn’t feel broken, and thus was irrelevant.
Pressure applied, the grey beast picked a random direction free of opponents to escape, ignorant of the waiting security. When it was too close for them to shoot into its mouth at a decent angle, they slung the bows over their shoulders and drew the swords they had been afforded, patiently waiting with the blades turned down.
It passed below them, the two Lilhuns dropping from the branches to put their full weight into the plunging blades. Both landed on the large target, one sword sinking deep into a shoulder, while the other managed to pierce one of its hip joints. The beast spun haphazardly to dislodge the ‘new’ threats, both security members kicking off and finding new trees to set up in.
Whatever damage was actually done, it had lost the use of an arm, and its gait shifted awkwardly as the blade lodged in its hip worked more harm with each shambling step.. Emboldened, Jax picked up the pace, struggling to position himself with the amount of metal he wore. Ducking another swipe of its claws, he saw his chance and swung, pivoting with his axe as a counter weight. For the third time, his axe blade found the wound in its leg, adding a sickening crunch as the bone snapped from the impact.
The creature swung wildly, forced to favour its two remaining good legs, and the only other leg that could still support at least some of its weight. It was unstable now, the hunched figure swaying while unmoving. Unable to run, it decided to go down with as many of them as it could.
Rose caught up with the attack, drawing attention from the comparatively squishy Nalah as the blond-furred female deflected a wayward swing with her shield. The once iron-plated ironwood now sporting little more than jagged scraps of metal atop its silver wooden structure, a series of deep gouges marring the surface. Two lunging thrusts with the pike bit flesh, drawing new blood from the beast.
Joseph loaded his crossbow, getting off two bolts, but not managing to keep it steady enough to hit anything of use, his arm faltering under the weight of the weapon. Cursing, he decided to flank the beast and try his luck with the other bracer. If nothing else, the force in which the blade deployed was enough to pierce the thick hide, and the others were doing a good job of distracting it.
The red armoured Atmo let loose a series of directed swings, the fifth severing an arm in motion, the flying appendage forcing Nalah to raise her shield to block the unorthodox projectile. The female was sent sprawling from the weight of the impact, but the beast was too busy voicing its agony to take advantage of it. Jax worked another two chops into the broad legs, but neither managed to incapacitate it any more, and the prolonged exertion was slowing his reflexes.
As if cued into his waning energy, the beast flung Jax with another strike, the hunter of the group sinking a bolt deep into the cavernous flesh of its mouth to prevent an attempt at following up.
Joseph roared, desperate to finish it off before the creature could do the same to his downed pack. He sprinted at the monster's back and slid underneath it with as much speed as he could muster. Throwing his fist into the passing undercarriage, he let the deployed blade leave a long gash in its wake.
The grey monster lost its ability to stand, torn tendons, blood loss, and inflicted injuries taking their toll. The Grand Hunter kicked off his knees to fling himself out of the way of the collapsing figure, grimacing as the remaining bracer proved unable to support the abuse he had put it through. He looked back at the beast, the flailing body failing to right itself as teeth did little more than gouge dirt, its back exposed. Rose approached, raising their blades together and plunging it through the body over and over until it stopped moving.
Exhausted, the Atmo dropped where it was, breathing heavily. Joseph’s instinct to yell their victory was delayed as he hurried over to Jax and Nalah to confirm he didn't need to bring back bad news. Nalah seemed fine, if a bit sore from hitting the dirt and rolling, while Jax just asked to lay down when he heard that everything was over. Cobalt came over to the group, the armour that had come off collected atop the carriage it had managed to loosely affix to its base.
It was light, a chuckle originating from the Human as he slumped to the ground against a tree, but soon the entire group was roaring with laughter as victory settled in their minds. The two security members helped the hunter begin disassembling the beast, their contribution to the fight leaving them with more energy than the rest. They hadn’t been slacking off, that much was certain. The number of arrows jammed into the maw of the thing would have guaranteed a few extra seconds of survival and chances to escape if one of them had been forcibly tossed into there, and it had caused enough pause for the rest of them to get in a few hits up close.
Joseph rested across from Jax and Nalah, letting his heart rate slow from the rapid pace it had been pinned to since the start of the conflict. His arm continued its protests, but from the amount of movement he still had, he guessed that he had just strained the elbow. A few days taking it easy should straighten that right up.
Once the active members were about half way through processing the creature for hide and meat, Cobalt approached him, a mimed request for assistance putting their armour back on being redirected to Nalah since he doubted he could lift the damn pieces without hurting himself at the moment. She obliged, getting the blue Atmo back in full attire, though it took a while.
Rose stood first, stopping over to allow the hunter to place collected bits and pieces onto the carriage before securing it with whatever they could make due. A security member gathered the moss-wolf corpses for a similar treatment. Waste not, want not, he supposed.
Rose ended up carrying most of their spoils. When he was about to ask why, he, Jax, and Nalah were dragged to Cobalt and hefted onto the carriage. A series of confused questions revealed that the rest wanted to head back before it started getting dark, and it was pretty obvious who was the most exhausted of them. Lacking the will or energy to argue it, he flopped back on the Atmo as the trees passed them by, Nalah resting her legs across him as her head sat on Jax’s lap. The black-furred male didn’t so much as smirk, so it was clear he had pushed himself too far to quip about the arrangement as he laid down.
“The next time you wish to exhaust me this much, Joseph,” the Head of Security started after a long while of silence, tiredness in his voice, “I would prefer it to involve my mate and a bed.”
The Human snorted, closing his eyes and enjoying the lack of walking as the surprisingly stable Atmo carried the three of them. “Fuck off, Jax.”
“Of course, Grand Hunter.”
Next
A/N: Patreon is fixed!... aka new one cuz problems with the last. Check it out to support the story, get AI character art every now and then, or even preview sections of chapters as i write them! (aka, before kieve gets to fix them :D)
2023.06.08 09:21 AmalgamatedLocks The Advantages of Installing a Home Security System
Today's rapid-paced environment, in which crime is increasing, makes it more and more necessary to put the security and safety of our homes first. In order to safeguard your family's safety and that of their belongings, it is important for you as a homeowner. This is when a house security system can be installed. Due to advancements in the technology field, electronic home security has become easier and more affordable. The article below will explain the benefits and advantages of having a house security system. It can also provide peace-of-mind for both you and your loved one.
1. Deterrence Of Intruders: One of the main benefits of having an alarm system in your home is that it deters potential thieves. Simply having electronic security cameras, alarms and motion sensors can make a significant difference in reducing the chance of someone breaking into your house. As the likelihood of being caught grows, criminals tend to avoid targeting a well-protected home.
2. Alarm systems can protect you from home burglaries: Alarms will be triggered if someone attempts to intrude into your house. This alerts you as well as your neighbors. Security systems can send alerts to smartphones, in addition to audible alarms, to enable you to immediately take action.
3. monitored remotely: Thanks to technological advancements, most security systems can now be monitored remotely. This allows you to monitor your home from afar. This allows you to view the video feeds on your security cameras in real time, receive notifications and manage certain features of your home. For example, lights or door locks. Remote monitoring offers a sense control that allows you to connect to your home wherever you may be.
4. Carbon Monoxide, Fire, and Smoke Detection: Home electronic security systems are not restricted to protecting your home from burglars. Many security systems are equipped with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide sensors and other features. These vital additions detect harmful gases or smoke quickly, and can trigger alarms to give you and family time for a safe evacuation. It is important to detect fires and carbon monoxide before they become serious. An alarm system will provide an extra layer of safety.
5. Benefits of Insurance: A home electronic security system will often result in a reduction in homeowner's policies. Insurers recognize the extra protection provided by security systems and will give discounts to those homeowners who are proactive in protecting their home. A security system is a great way to not only safeguard your home, but save you money.
The system will protect not just your home but your precious belongings as well. Simply having security cameras installed can help deter thieves. Camera footage is vital evidence that can help law enforcement identify and capture burglars.
6. Peace of Mind: A security system for your home can give you peace of mind. When you know your home is protected by a reliable system, you feel safer and more comfortable. You'll have peace in mind knowing that, whether you're at home or on vacation, your home is always protected.
7. Integration with Home Automation: Many modern security systems for the home are integrated seamlessly with automation technology. You can use a centralized app or system to control your home's various features, such as the temperature, door locks, and lighting. Multiple functions can be managed from a single interface, which enhances home electronic security.
submitted by AmalgamatedLocks to u/AmalgamatedLocks [link] [comments]
1. Deterrence Of Intruders: One of the main benefits of having an alarm system in your home is that it deters potential thieves. Simply having electronic security cameras, alarms and motion sensors can make a significant difference in reducing the chance of someone breaking into your house. As the likelihood of being caught grows, criminals tend to avoid targeting a well-protected home.
2. Alarm systems can protect you from home burglaries: Alarms will be triggered if someone attempts to intrude into your house. This alerts you as well as your neighbors. Security systems can send alerts to smartphones, in addition to audible alarms, to enable you to immediately take action.
3. monitored remotely: Thanks to technological advancements, most security systems can now be monitored remotely. This allows you to monitor your home from afar. This allows you to view the video feeds on your security cameras in real time, receive notifications and manage certain features of your home. For example, lights or door locks. Remote monitoring offers a sense control that allows you to connect to your home wherever you may be.
4. Carbon Monoxide, Fire, and Smoke Detection: Home electronic security systems are not restricted to protecting your home from burglars. Many security systems are equipped with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide sensors and other features. These vital additions detect harmful gases or smoke quickly, and can trigger alarms to give you and family time for a safe evacuation. It is important to detect fires and carbon monoxide before they become serious. An alarm system will provide an extra layer of safety.
5. Benefits of Insurance: A home electronic security system will often result in a reduction in homeowner's policies. Insurers recognize the extra protection provided by security systems and will give discounts to those homeowners who are proactive in protecting their home. A security system is a great way to not only safeguard your home, but save you money.
The system will protect not just your home but your precious belongings as well. Simply having security cameras installed can help deter thieves. Camera footage is vital evidence that can help law enforcement identify and capture burglars.
6. Peace of Mind: A security system for your home can give you peace of mind. When you know your home is protected by a reliable system, you feel safer and more comfortable. You'll have peace in mind knowing that, whether you're at home or on vacation, your home is always protected.
7. Integration with Home Automation: Many modern security systems for the home are integrated seamlessly with automation technology. You can use a centralized app or system to control your home's various features, such as the temperature, door locks, and lighting. Multiple functions can be managed from a single interface, which enhances home electronic security.
Conclusion:
Installing a home safety system has numerous benefits. This system offers peace of mind and increased security for your family and can even be monitored remotely. Included electronic security measures, such as cameras and sensors for motion, will give you full control and awareness over the safety of your residence. Do not wait any longer to install an effective home security solution. Amalgamated Locks is known as a reliable company that provides top security solutions.2023.06.08 08:12 _Triple_ [STORE] 900+ KNIVES/GLOVES/SKINS, 50.000$+ INVENTORY. M9 Fade, M4 Poseidon, BFK Freehand, Crimson Kimono, Nomad Fade, Skeleton, Kara Lore, Bayo Autotronic, AWP Fade, Kara Damas, BFK Ultra, Kara Freehand, Kara Bright, M9 Damas, Omega, Tiger Strike, Flip MF, Bayo Tiger, Deagle Blaze, Talon & More
Everything in my inventory is up for trade. The most valuable items are listed here, the rest you can find in My Inventory
Feel free to Add Me or even better send a Trade Offer. Open for any suggestions: upgrades, downgrades / knives, gloves, skins / stickers, patterns, floats.
All Buyouts are listed in cash value.
KNIVES
★ Butterfly Knife Freehand FN #1, B/O: $2500
★ Butterfly Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $822
★ Butterfly Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $616
⎯★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW #1, B/O: $1300
★ Bayonet Autotronic FN, B/O: $1050
★ Bayonet Tiger Tooth MW, B/O: $629
★ Bayonet Bright Water FT, B/O: $326
★ Bayonet Safari Mesh BS, B/O: $233
⎯★ Karambit Lore FT, B/O: $1110
★ Karambit Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $840
★ Karambit Freehand MW, B/O: $784
★ Karambit Bright Water MW, B/O: $759
⎯★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Fade FN, B/O: $1801
★ M9 Bayonet Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $751
⎯★ Nomad Knife Fade FN, B/O: $1156
★ Nomad Knife Slaughter MW, B/O: $544
★ Nomad Knife Blue Steel WW, B/O: $318
⎯★ Flip Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $646
★ Flip Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $574
★ Flip Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) MW, B/O: $552
★ Flip Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $257
★ Flip Knife Freehand FT, B/O: $255
★ StatTrak™ Flip Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $287
⎯★ Huntsman Knife Lore FN, B/O: $461
★ Huntsman Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $436
★ Huntsman Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $353
★ Huntsman Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $212
★ Huntsman Knife Bright Water FT, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT MW, B/O: $129
★ Huntsman Knife Forest DDPAT BS, B/O: $123
★ StatTrak™ Huntsman Knife Rust Coat BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $375
★ Bowie Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $363
★ Bowie Knife Tiger Tooth FN, B/O: $269
★ Bowie Knife Crimson Web WW, B/O: $192
★ Bowie Knife Bright Water FN, B/O: $159
★ Bowie Knife Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $126
⎯★ Stiletto Knife Slaughter FN, B/O: $616
★ Stiletto Knife Crimson Web FT, B/O: $412
★ StatTrak™ Stiletto Knife Night Stripe FT, B/O: $227
⎯★ Falchion Knife Lore FT, B/O: $214
★ Falchion Knife Autotronic FT, B/O: $192
★ Falchion Knife Scorched WW, B/O: $105
⎯★ Survival Knife Crimson Web BS, B/O: $216
★ Survival Knife Case Hardened FT, B/O: $198
★ Survival Knife Scorched FT, B/O: $111
⎯★ Shadow Daggers Fade FN, B/O: $368
★ Shadow Daggers Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $228
★ Shadow Daggers, B/O: $201
★ Shadow Daggers Damascus Steel FT, B/O: $108
★ Shadow Daggers Ultraviolet FT, B/O: $105
★ Shadow Daggers Black Laminate FT, B/O: $99
★ Shadow Daggers Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $85
⎯★ Gut Knife Doppler (Sapphire) MW #1, B/O: $1700
★ Gut Knife Gamma Doppler (Phase 1) FN, B/O: $223
★ Gut Knife Marble Fade FN, B/O: $203
★ Gut Knife Doppler (Phase 2) FN, B/O: $191
★ Gut Knife Case Hardened BS, B/O: $127
⎯★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife Doppler (Phase 4) FN, B/O: $199
★ Navaja Knife, B/O: $138
★ Navaja Knife Damascus Steel FN, B/O: $111
⎯★ Classic Knife Urban Masked FT, B/O: $146
★ StatTrak™ Classic Knife Stained BS, B/O: $168
⎯★ Ursus Knife Doppler (Phase 3) FN, B/O: $476
★ Ursus Knife, B/O: $375
⎯★ Skeleton Knife, B/O: $1137
★ Talon Knife, B/O: $608
★ Paracord Knife, B/O: $305
★ Survival Knife Forest DDPAT FT, B/O: $97
GLOVES
★ Moto Gloves Transport MW, B/O: $204
★ Moto Gloves Polygon BS, B/O: $142
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves Blood Pressure BS, B/O: $84
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
★ Moto Gloves 3rd Commando Company BS, B/O: $63
⎯★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Kimono WW, B/O: $1215
★ Specialist Gloves Tiger Strike FT, B/O: $672
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander FT, B/O: $305
★ Specialist Gloves Lt. Commander BS, B/O: $140
★ Specialist Gloves Crimson Web BS, B/O: $137
★ Specialist Gloves Buckshot FT, B/O: $75
⎯★ Driver Gloves Crimson Weave FT, B/O: $359
★ Driver Gloves Imperial Plaid BS, B/O: $229
★ Driver Gloves Overtake BS, B/O: $77
★ Driver Gloves Racing Green FT, B/O: $48
⎯★ Sport Gloves Omega FT, B/O: $739
★ Sport Gloves Amphibious BS #2, B/O: $733
★ Sport Gloves Arid BS, B/O: $292
⎯★ Hand Wraps Giraffe MW, B/O: $212
★ Hand Wraps Leather FT, B/O: $160
★ Hand Wraps Desert Shamagh MW, B/O: $101
⎯★ Broken Fang Gloves Yellow-banded MW, B/O: $185
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point FT, B/O: $67
★ Broken Fang Gloves Needle Point WW, B/O: $59
⎯★ Hydra Gloves Case Hardened BS, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald FT, B/O: $65
★ Hydra Gloves Emerald BS, B/O: $62
WEAPONS
AK-47 Case Hardened BS, B/O: $130
AK-47 Bloodsport MW, B/O: $79
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Fuel Injector BS, B/O: $76
AK-47 Bloodsport FT, B/O: $70
AK-47 Neon Rider MW, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AK-47 Aquamarine Revenge FT, B/O: $72
⎯AWP Fade FN, B/O: $1039
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Asiimov FT, B/O: $139
AWP Wildfire MW, B/O: $95
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP BOOM MW, B/O: $93
AWP Duality FN, B/O: $81
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Asiimov BS, B/O: $79
AWP Chromatic Aberration FN, B/O: $60
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Hyper Beast FT, B/O: $68
StatTrak™ AWP Electric Hive FT, B/O: $55
⎯Desert Eagle Blaze FN, B/O: $623
Desert Eagle Emerald Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $241
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Cobalt Disruption FN, B/O: $81
Desert Eagle Printstream FT, B/O: $54
⎯M4A1-S Blue Phosphor FN, B/O: $434
StatTrak™ M4A1-S Bright Water MW, B/O: $55
⎯M4A4 Poseidon FN, B/O: $1465
M4A4 Asiimov BS, B/O: $55
M4A4 Hellfire MW, B/O: $50
⎯USP-S Kill Confirmed MW, B/O: $72
USP-S Printstream FT, B/O: $69
StatTrak™ USP-S Kill Confirmed FT, B/O: $139
⎯AUG Flame Jörmungandr FN, B/O: $234
P90 Run and Hide FT, B/O: $147
Five-SeveN Candy Apple FN, B/O: $61
Trade Offer Link - Steam Profile Link - My Inventory
Some items on the list may no longer be available or are still locked, visit My Inventory for more details.
Send a Trade Offer for fastest response. I consider all offers.
Add me for discuss if there is a serious offer that needs to be discussed.
2023.06.08 08:04 lakers_nation24 Steins 0 + general time travel rules questions
Steins 0 cooked so hard goddamn. And the soundtrack had no business being that fire. Had some questions tho, as last like 4 episodes they abuse tf outta time travel so the timelines and rules get a bit confusing, as well as some potential plot holes I noticed but this is probably just me being stupid. Spoilers ahead (duh). long post ahead, if ppl could even answer one or two points it would still be helpful! TIA
(All of my questions hinges on the fact that world lines are possible futures, not alternate worlds. There is only 1 existing reality at any time)
submitted by lakers_nation24 to steinsgate [link] [comments]
(All of my questions hinges on the fact that world lines are possible futures, not alternate worlds. There is only 1 existing reality at any time)
- In the final moments of the series, why does 2025 okabe attempt to save the lost mayuri and suzu? He just sent the final message of how to really save kurisu back to the final episode of steins gate, so that entire timeline and the war wouldn’t even exist, including suzu and mayuri being lost in time. In fact thinking about shouldn’t that whole scene not even exist? The moment he sends that d mail back the world line should’ve shifted to steins gate as that’s the ultimate final nail in the coffin, that whole speech to the lab shouldn’t have existed, time travel doesn't even exist except in kurisu's notes and okabe's memories
- How was 2036 okabe able to time leap back to 2011 in the final few leaps? The reason they ended up in 2036 was because the time leap on 7/8 AFTER the Time Machine blows up did not work. At minimum okabe should not have been able to cross the threshold before that event as he never changed world lines so the time leap machine would still be broken right before that final leap to thrust him into pre Time Machine destruction. Even then it can be implied that the time leap machine continues not working after 7/8, as the lab doesn’t continue trying on 7/9,10,11 etc. (if the time leap not working on 7/8 in that one instance was an anomaly, they would have simply tried and gotten it to work the next day or trial, instead events progressed to 2036 in the first place proving that wasn’t the case)
- Why doesn’t anyone else try to use the time leap machine to prevent WW3? Unlike d mails time leap is sending basically the consciousness of the user back in time - which means they would be able to retain memories from the future kind of like bootleg reading Steiner. If they managed to successfully rewrite the future then the world line changes and I assume they forget all about the original world line they came from but at that point it wouldn’t matter as mission is accomplished. It’s better than just dying in ww3.
- Convergence - I understand the mainframe of how time travel works in the universe but can someone explain if possible the details and nuances of it? We are basically told that there is some level of divine intervention/fate where futures tend to flow towards certain directions or events regardless of causality or butterfly effect from time travel (mayuri death, Time Machine gets bombed, okabe still meets maho after Amadeus never developed), okabe even notes this in the first couple minutes of ep 23 right after they wiped Amadeus stating “even as world lines keep changing, our relationships stay constant. It’s as if conditions reshape themselves to support the relationships we’ve built”. So what exactly makes an event a “fixed point”? Is everything just convergence? What determines an event being a point of convergence? 2036 okabe is revealed to use knowledge of him surviving to 2025 as an advantage when he is time leaping back and talks to Amadeus, except that having that knowledge would probably change his actions leading up to 2025 potentially drastically changing the future (which is a time paradox in itself). After they hatch the plan to have okabe delete Amadeus and use the lab members as a diversion Amadeus tells him the future he just came from all the lab members are safe so he doesn’t have anything to worry about, but these new actions where he puts his lab members in the battle would have significant potential to change the future he just came from, unless the show is implying that everyone surviving that event is a fixed point. On the other hand the Og steins gate shows the butterfly effect is very much real, with d mails changing the entire landscape of akihabara and significantly altering each lab members lives. Not to mention the whole plot of the show is basically time traveling to alter the future, so it seems inconsistent to be able to radically change events in the past while maintaining the future could have predictable or fixed outcomes. It seems to me that whatever knowledge gets revealed to past observers becomes a point of convergence (past professor having to wait until the rooftop battle to steal the Time Machine because doing so earlier would disrupt the time flow, okabe living until 2025 because it was revealed to him from the future. On the other hand, mayori dies in the Time Machine even tho she should have survived to adopt kaguri in the first place and they were aware of that so who knows). Anyways just need details on how exactly convergence and the flow of time works in the SG universe
- Okabe full timeline so we have the steins gate original series up til the (second to last…?) episode. Right up to the point where he tries to save kurisu the first time. Then steins 0 starts, with beta 23. He does all that until the failed time leap on 7/8 to save mayushi and suzu. The second time the time leap fails. This okabe actually goes on to live the next 14 years, then 11 years in a coma until 2036. At this point the consciousness of our prime okabe is effectively dead. Then using time leap, they install 7/8/2011 okabe consciousness into the body of prime okabe. He time leaps 3000 times back to 2011 where with some trial and error they manage to successfully get mayushi and suzu to the past, while saving kaguri and effectively making her a future Valkyrie. Then okabe lives another 14 years to 2025 to fulfil his fate of dying in 2025 all the while watching the events suzu had foretold for the first time from his POV. At this point he sends the final d mail back which takes us back to OG steins gate where we paused and now in 2010 again, prime okabe is able to successfully reach steins gate. This effectively wipes 2025 okabe from existence as well as the events from steins 0 and everything from 2010-2025 as that timeline now never exists.
- Now assuming my timeline of point 5. is correct - what does okabe remember with reading Steiner? 2010 prime okabe at the end of steins gate clearly has no memory of the events of steins 0 - maho, Yuki, kagari are not lab members inscribed on the lab trinkets he gives out despite suzu being on there and she isn’t born yet. Also as we see from the LA trip ova okabe clearly meets Yuki for the first time from his POV, unaware that in a different world line he has already had her in his life and eventually fights a whole war next to her. However, this happens in the future to the perspective of 2010 prime okabe (all of steins 0 happens after august 2010 which is basically around where the end of steins gate leaves us at). As we can see from the show, with d mail world line shifts, okabe’s consciousness only kicks in to the corresponding time of the new shifted world line (aka if on 2/1 okabe sends a d mail back one month to 1/1 which alters the past, prime okabe would “awake” in his body in the new timeline on 2/1, and basically the time between 1/1-2/1 he would be on “autopilot” with no memory of how events changed with the d mail until someone else filled him in). With this said since the path to steins gate was a d mail sent from 2025, does this mean okabe from 2025 will suddenly wake up in his body in steins gate world line 2025 with no idea how the last 15 years played out?
- How does a time paradox actually work? The Time Machine works a bit differently than d mails or time leap as it can send a physical person back (leading to 2 of the same person existing at the same time) as opposed to the other two which only send back information (which by itself I don’t see how it isn’t a time paradox either, for example the whole episode with mayushi and kaguru’s song that we later find out is a complete paradox within the group as it’s revealed mayushi -> kaguru -> okabe in the past -> okabe’s mom -> yuki-> suzu -> mayushi which means the lab members basically taught themselves the song throughout time which is definitely a paradox). But as the show never explicity shows up what happens if a Time machine time paradox occurs where like 2 of the same people meet, so I was wondering if anyone knew that from the other expanded content.
2023.06.08 07:24 TheCurserHasntMoved (Sneakyverse) The Drums of War Chapter 11: Second Star
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The cavern shook, and some pebbles broke off of the roof. Jax didn't worry to much over it, since Kai and Mei had said that the cave could stand up to a decent sized bomb. It was probably the drop pods landing. He'd never been able to be as nonchalant as the Terrans seemed to be about it, but at least he never refused a drop. Not for the first time, he bitterly wished he had his armor. Sure, most guys don't buy their service armor, but he could have afforded it. He just could conceive he'd ever need it in his life after service. More fool him.
Rae came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, but when he went to shrug it away, she squeezed it tighter. "What's the matter? Who needs help?"
"You do."
"I'm fine."
"You're not. Jax, you're… Jax I…"
"I said I'm fine!" he snapped as he jerked his shoulder away, but when she made a sound of shock and pain, his head snapped around, and he looked in terror for the injury he had caused her. He saw only the anguish on her face. "I'm sorry. I'm okay. I'll be okay, please don't worry."
"Ash talks about it."
"Ash won't talk about anything."
"He used to be a thief." That surprised Jax so much that he couldn't make a sound from his slack jawed maw, so she continued, "Not for a while, but he's not proud of his past. He had turned his life around, got hired in construction. Got married, and she was pregnant. Full six litter."
"Was…"
"Yes, she was. She died when the hospital got hit."
"Why are you telling me this?" Jax asked as he fought the swell of pity before it could show on his face.
"Because Ash is worried about you too."
"Ash?"
"He's more observant. There's a reason you send him to scout."
"Too?"
"Yes, Jax. He's worried too. Him and me. Kai is to worried about making sure he knows how everyone will evacuate if they need to. Mei just wants to kill another bloodskin. But Ash and I can see it."
Jax slapped the stone with his tail and griped his rifle hard. He unclenched his jaw and said, "I shouldn't have let so many buy us time on the first day. I should have brought more down here. I could have-"
"How? Knock them out and drag them all down here under fire?"
"I don't know! I should have- somehow. I'm a veteran, I served with the Terrans in antipiracy patrols and saw three combat drops. I should be able to do more."
"You want to be up there."
"Yes! But even without my armor, I'd be a liabilty," he spat.
"You just said you've fought with the Terrans before," she prodded.
"You don't understand. Those aren't just Terrans, those are RNI Drop Troopers, Lost Boys Rapid Response Division. The training the Republic put me through for regular grunt standards makes our military training look like a pup's park. The Lost Boys make the RNI Drop Troopers look like pups playing in their father's fishing box. These are the guys who read My Side and instead of feeling sorry for Sneaky, felt that he did the necessary thing and wanted to be that brave. If all of us were trained, and all of us had armor, we could support, but it's not. If any of us went up there, best case we only get ourselves hurt. Worst case we get one of them killed to protect us, because they will. They won't even think about it. Just one, one Lost Boy, made all the difference back there. Do you think we'd have gotten in without him covering us from that bird's perch of his? I know you'd be hurt at least. I have fifty-one reasons to thank him."
"Oh…" she muttered. "Look at everyone still alive. Still free. The pups told me why they were beaten."
"Why's that?" Jax asked as a stone formed in his belly.
"Their parents disobeyed."
It took Jax a full ten seconds to pull back the snarl of pure hatful rage off of his face to be replaced with a milder expression of fury, "Genocidal, and slavers. Thank the Ancestors for the Lost Boys."
"Thank the Ancestors for you, Jax. For you and the men like you in the other towns, out in the hills, in the atolls. We'd have never held out this long."
"I'm fine. I'll be okay, you don't have to worry," Jax said with a transparent smile over his face.
"Acolyte-Lord, their shields do show signs of stress."
"Acolyte-Lord," another Initiate-Highborn began, "Our batteries do overheat, we must cease firing for cooling!"
"Make it so, launch missiles to keep the pressure up."
"I obey, Acolyte-Lord!"
"Cruiser five, move up and open fire upon that battleship," Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn commanded over the communications network.
He watched as a single battleship suppressed the whole of his fleet, and the other three sped toward the planet. "All frigates, focus fire on that battleship!" he commanded, seizing the opportunity. The missiles crept toward the Terran battleship as the frigates maneuvered to bring their plasma lances to bear on the massive vessel. For all that, Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was denied the sight of the Terran shields finally buckling. "Acolyte-lord, if they can sustain that fire for another five seconds, our lances can be brought to bear, and finally overwhelm the Terran shields," an Initiate-Highborn announced.
"How fare the extraction ships?"
"Acolyte-Lord, they need only another thirty seconds to make minimum jump distance."
"Frigates, do not lessen your fire, we shall make them pay a price in blood for this system!" Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn roared. Proximity alarms suddenly sounded, "What comes?"
"Acolyte-Lord, brace for impact! Our shields do fail!"
"Slingshot trajectory," he cursed.
One of the frigates broke apart under the Terran battleship's terrible power, and Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn's lances came online. The gunnery officer did not wait for the order to fire, and the Terran shields finally failed, and hot plasma splashed across its hull. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn let a cruel grin spread across his face in anticipation of seeing the Terran vessel scorched into so much twisted and useless metal, but instead two of his cruisers and yet another frigate broke apart. "KEEP FIRING!"
"Acolyte-Lord," said his security officer, "We have been boarded!"
"HOW?! THEIR SHIP IS NOWHERE NEAR US!"
Linus let the pain well up in him. He let the tears run down his cheeks, and he let it turn to cold fury before he hit the ground. His armored pod's grav bubble and inertial transferal systems had insulated him from the kinetic force of the impact. Not so much the armored vehicle he had been steering for. The charges placed at the seams of his pod hatch went off, sending said hatch through the surviving driver. He keyed his mic and said, "Alpha blue leader, boots down, team check in."
"Blue one, boots down, checking in," said Private First Class Andrew Lewis.
"Blue two, boots down, checking in," said Private First Class Joshua Clark.
"Blue three, boots down, checking in," said Private First Class Benjamin carter.
"Alpha Blue, all present and accounted for, Sarge."
"Good news, Corporal. Not that they had much that could have picked one of us out on the way," came Sergeant Thomas Mitchell's growl over the tacnet. Our area of operation is civvy clear, say again our area of operation is civvy clear."
"Requesting permission to switch to heavy ordo, sarge."
"Request logged. Sir, a fire team is requesting heavy ordo."
Lieutenant Mark Thomson answered in his dulcet tones not dissimilar to being raked over broken glass, "Granted. Heavy ordo clear for all teams operating in confirmed civilian clear zones. Keep your eyes peeled for stays though, got it?"
"Aye, sir," answered the entire chain of command.
"Nobody go hunting medals, we're out to get these cultists to get less eager to die," the gunny barked over the tacnet.
Linus was already swapping out his standard ammunition block for light armor penetrating explosive rounds. "Aye, gunny. No medals." In Linus's peripheral vision, a bird's eye view of his area of operation showed an infantry squad and a tank approaching him, a platoon of infantry approaching PFC Clark, and what looked like a group of armored troop carriers approaching PFC Lewis. "Blue three, find yourself a perch and provide support for Blue Two. Blue One, see that?"
"Aye, Blue Leader. I won't see it in a minute."
Linus opened up on the tank, putting three rounds directly through the joint between the turret and the deck, and half a second later they exploded, leaving a twisted hole through which Linus could put more explosive rounds, just in case the tankers didn't die from the shrapnel of the original explosions. "Time to go to work, Lost Boys. We remember the We Sing."
"Aye sir!"
"Don't sir me, I'm a corporal," Linus's team laughed at him. Linus still couldn't find his humor. Hot plasma bolts splashed against his battlescreen, and he started eliminating soft targets.
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submitted by TheCurserHasntMoved to HFY [link] [comments]
Below Numiind:
Jax looked over the tattered, gaunt, haunted group of about two thousand civilians as they huddled together in the damp cavern below the ground. A generation was missing among them. The elderly and even the aged held and cradled the pups and the infants. There were fifty new pups in the press, fifty pups who… fifty pups who had plastic tags through their ears like wildlife, and some had thick welts raised beneath their fur. Jax tried not to think about that too much. If he thought about that too much, he might just go topside and get in the RNI's way.The cavern shook, and some pebbles broke off of the roof. Jax didn't worry to much over it, since Kai and Mei had said that the cave could stand up to a decent sized bomb. It was probably the drop pods landing. He'd never been able to be as nonchalant as the Terrans seemed to be about it, but at least he never refused a drop. Not for the first time, he bitterly wished he had his armor. Sure, most guys don't buy their service armor, but he could have afforded it. He just could conceive he'd ever need it in his life after service. More fool him.
Rae came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, but when he went to shrug it away, she squeezed it tighter. "What's the matter? Who needs help?"
"You do."
"I'm fine."
"You're not. Jax, you're… Jax I…"
"I said I'm fine!" he snapped as he jerked his shoulder away, but when she made a sound of shock and pain, his head snapped around, and he looked in terror for the injury he had caused her. He saw only the anguish on her face. "I'm sorry. I'm okay. I'll be okay, please don't worry."
"Ash talks about it."
"Ash won't talk about anything."
"He used to be a thief." That surprised Jax so much that he couldn't make a sound from his slack jawed maw, so she continued, "Not for a while, but he's not proud of his past. He had turned his life around, got hired in construction. Got married, and she was pregnant. Full six litter."
"Was…"
"Yes, she was. She died when the hospital got hit."
"Why are you telling me this?" Jax asked as he fought the swell of pity before it could show on his face.
"Because Ash is worried about you too."
"Ash?"
"He's more observant. There's a reason you send him to scout."
"Too?"
"Yes, Jax. He's worried too. Him and me. Kai is to worried about making sure he knows how everyone will evacuate if they need to. Mei just wants to kill another bloodskin. But Ash and I can see it."
Jax slapped the stone with his tail and griped his rifle hard. He unclenched his jaw and said, "I shouldn't have let so many buy us time on the first day. I should have brought more down here. I could have-"
"How? Knock them out and drag them all down here under fire?"
"I don't know! I should have- somehow. I'm a veteran, I served with the Terrans in antipiracy patrols and saw three combat drops. I should be able to do more."
"You want to be up there."
"Yes! But even without my armor, I'd be a liabilty," he spat.
"You just said you've fought with the Terrans before," she prodded.
"You don't understand. Those aren't just Terrans, those are RNI Drop Troopers, Lost Boys Rapid Response Division. The training the Republic put me through for regular grunt standards makes our military training look like a pup's park. The Lost Boys make the RNI Drop Troopers look like pups playing in their father's fishing box. These are the guys who read My Side and instead of feeling sorry for Sneaky, felt that he did the necessary thing and wanted to be that brave. If all of us were trained, and all of us had armor, we could support, but it's not. If any of us went up there, best case we only get ourselves hurt. Worst case we get one of them killed to protect us, because they will. They won't even think about it. Just one, one Lost Boy, made all the difference back there. Do you think we'd have gotten in without him covering us from that bird's perch of his? I know you'd be hurt at least. I have fifty-one reasons to thank him."
"Oh…" she muttered. "Look at everyone still alive. Still free. The pups told me why they were beaten."
"Why's that?" Jax asked as a stone formed in his belly.
"Their parents disobeyed."
It took Jax a full ten seconds to pull back the snarl of pure hatful rage off of his face to be replaced with a milder expression of fury, "Genocidal, and slavers. Thank the Ancestors for the Lost Boys."
"Thank the Ancestors for you, Jax. For you and the men like you in the other towns, out in the hills, in the atolls. We'd have never held out this long."
"I'm fine. I'll be okay, you don't have to worry," Jax said with a transparent smile over his face.
In High orbit above Numiid:
Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn gritted his teeth. He could hardly believe that four ships, mighty battleships though they may be, could have put him on such shifting sands. His own battleship was currently bombarding the nearest of the four Terran battleships with all of its plasma batteries."Acolyte-Lord, their shields do show signs of stress."
"Acolyte-Lord," another Initiate-Highborn began, "Our batteries do overheat, we must cease firing for cooling!"
"Make it so, launch missiles to keep the pressure up."
"I obey, Acolyte-Lord!"
"Cruiser five, move up and open fire upon that battleship," Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn commanded over the communications network.
He watched as a single battleship suppressed the whole of his fleet, and the other three sped toward the planet. "All frigates, focus fire on that battleship!" he commanded, seizing the opportunity. The missiles crept toward the Terran battleship as the frigates maneuvered to bring their plasma lances to bear on the massive vessel. For all that, Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn was denied the sight of the Terran shields finally buckling. "Acolyte-lord, if they can sustain that fire for another five seconds, our lances can be brought to bear, and finally overwhelm the Terran shields," an Initiate-Highborn announced.
"How fare the extraction ships?"
"Acolyte-Lord, they need only another thirty seconds to make minimum jump distance."
"Frigates, do not lessen your fire, we shall make them pay a price in blood for this system!" Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn roared. Proximity alarms suddenly sounded, "What comes?"
"Acolyte-Lord, brace for impact! Our shields do fail!"
"Slingshot trajectory," he cursed.
One of the frigates broke apart under the Terran battleship's terrible power, and Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn's lances came online. The gunnery officer did not wait for the order to fire, and the Terran shields finally failed, and hot plasma splashed across its hull. Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn let a cruel grin spread across his face in anticipation of seeing the Terran vessel scorched into so much twisted and useless metal, but instead two of his cruisers and yet another frigate broke apart. "KEEP FIRING!"
"Acolyte-Lord," said his security officer, "We have been boarded!"
"HOW?! THEIR SHIP IS NOWHERE NEAR US!"
Above the ruins of a mining town:
Corporal Linus George hurtled toward the ground in his drop pod watching the last video communication that his brother had sent him. "So anyway, I don't know if we'll have coms capability once we're in Clans space, since something's fucked out there," Robbie was saying, "So you might not be able to get ahold of me for a spell. Don't worry, the We Sing is a good ship. She'll get us home. Huh? Sorry Linus, just because I'm an officer doesn't mean I get to hog up the phone. Keep the faith, see you when I see you."Linus let the pain well up in him. He let the tears run down his cheeks, and he let it turn to cold fury before he hit the ground. His armored pod's grav bubble and inertial transferal systems had insulated him from the kinetic force of the impact. Not so much the armored vehicle he had been steering for. The charges placed at the seams of his pod hatch went off, sending said hatch through the surviving driver. He keyed his mic and said, "Alpha blue leader, boots down, team check in."
"Blue one, boots down, checking in," said Private First Class Andrew Lewis.
"Blue two, boots down, checking in," said Private First Class Joshua Clark.
"Blue three, boots down, checking in," said Private First Class Benjamin carter.
"Alpha Blue, all present and accounted for, Sarge."
"Good news, Corporal. Not that they had much that could have picked one of us out on the way," came Sergeant Thomas Mitchell's growl over the tacnet. Our area of operation is civvy clear, say again our area of operation is civvy clear."
"Requesting permission to switch to heavy ordo, sarge."
"Request logged. Sir, a fire team is requesting heavy ordo."
Lieutenant Mark Thomson answered in his dulcet tones not dissimilar to being raked over broken glass, "Granted. Heavy ordo clear for all teams operating in confirmed civilian clear zones. Keep your eyes peeled for stays though, got it?"
"Aye, sir," answered the entire chain of command.
"Nobody go hunting medals, we're out to get these cultists to get less eager to die," the gunny barked over the tacnet.
Linus was already swapping out his standard ammunition block for light armor penetrating explosive rounds. "Aye, gunny. No medals." In Linus's peripheral vision, a bird's eye view of his area of operation showed an infantry squad and a tank approaching him, a platoon of infantry approaching PFC Clark, and what looked like a group of armored troop carriers approaching PFC Lewis. "Blue three, find yourself a perch and provide support for Blue Two. Blue One, see that?"
"Aye, Blue Leader. I won't see it in a minute."
Linus opened up on the tank, putting three rounds directly through the joint between the turret and the deck, and half a second later they exploded, leaving a twisted hole through which Linus could put more explosive rounds, just in case the tankers didn't die from the shrapnel of the original explosions. "Time to go to work, Lost Boys. We remember the We Sing."
"Aye sir!"
"Don't sir me, I'm a corporal," Linus's team laughed at him. Linus still couldn't find his humor. Hot plasma bolts splashed against his battlescreen, and he started eliminating soft targets.
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